This is a very brief, much-abbreviated, bare-bones commentary on
Revelation. Much of the background context and the substantiating
cross-referenced scriptures have necessarily been omitted. For a
detailed, in-depth, verse-by-verse commentary,
please see our book, The Apocalypse of Revelation. Read the
full
text of our book free at
biblestudybooksfree.com.

Revelation consists of seven visions, each of which corresponds to
its matching day of creation in Genesis. In other words, Vision
One corresponds to the first day of creation, and so on for all
seven visions and days. Each vision also consists of seven parts,
and the seventh part of each vision acts as a continuum, or
springboard, to the next vision. This method of using creation as
a vehicle for the judgment of God effectively ties the beginning
to the end.

There are several guidelines which will help bring clarity and
understanding to Revelations. First, to interpret it literally is
to miss the meaning, since Revelation is a vision, filled with
symbolism, similes, metaphor, figures of speech, and word pictures.
Second, most of the action is occurring simultaneously, although
it is necessarily being reported sequentially. Third, the author
often used a prolepsis to jump ahead and report on things out of
sequence. To understand the
chronological order of events in Revelation, it is vital to
discern Johnís use of the prolepsis.

The nature of a prolepsis is to describe events out of sequential
order. John did not always relate things in a chronological
manner, but skipped around, sometimes going too far forward, and
then returning to the beginning of events. We must be carefulóthe
action described by a prolepsis is not actually taking place when
John tells about it.

1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him,
to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass;
and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

God gave a revelation, or apocalypse, to Jesus Christ. This
revelation was not about Jesus Christ, but about something which
was given to him. Jesus is not the thing, or person, being
revealed. This revelation was also given in a specific order. God
spoke to Jesus, Jesus spoke to his angel, the angel spoke to John,
and John wrote to the church.

This
column will be used to identify prolepses, timing, sequence, and
other logistical issues to help readers understand the flow of the
book.

1:2 who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony
of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

John testified, or witnessed, to three things: the word of God,
the testimony of Jesus, and all the things he saw. In a Jewish
court, anything was assumed to be true if affirmed by two or three
witnesses.

1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words
of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein:
for the time is at hand.

First, there is a blessing given to those who read this letter.
Second, there is a blessing on those who hear. Third,
there is a blessing on those who keep those things which are
written. We may deduce that by hearing and keeping the word told
to them, believers themselves become a revelation of the prophecy
to unbelievers.

1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be
unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which
is to come; and from the seven spirits which are before his
throne;

The number seven indicates a sense of perfection and completeness;
it is a central theme in the outline of this letter. There are
seven visions, and seven parts to each vision. These seven
letters to seven churches represent the totality of all churches.
The one "who was" refers to the manifestation of God as Jehovah in
the Old Testament. The manifestation of God"who is to
come" will be Jesus, the messiah.

1:5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and
the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the
earth. Unto him that loved us, and
washed us from our sins in his own blood,

This refers to attributes of Jesus, the Christ, the faithful
witness. His life on earth as a man, his birth, his ministry, his
death, his resurrection, and his ascension to God, were all done
to witness to the love of God for humanity. Jesus was the first
of all humanity to receive a glorified body. When he returns at
the beginning of the next age, Jesus will rule over all the kings
of the earth.

Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own
blood,

The latter part of verse 1:5 and all of verse 1:6 contain a
doxology in which John listed three things men should be thankful
for. The first three things mentioned were about the
characteristics and power of Jesus, the Christ; the next three
were about his ministry to mankind.
Love for us was the motive for all Jesus did. All mankind was
washed, or cleansed, of all their sins by the death of Jesus.

1:6 and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his
Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

We are our own priests. Every person has been given a portion of
holy spirit which is the anointing to the priesthood. We do not
need a priesthood to stand between us and God as in the Old
Testament days. Jesus is our high priest.

1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see
him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the
earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

No one will miss the return of Jesus, the Messiah! Every person
who ever committed a sin that needed forgiveness is to blame for
ďpiercing him.Ē Therefore, all are guilty, not just the Jews! But
only Israel will feel sorrow for their part in the crucifixion of
the one they now recognize as their messiah. The house of David
will repent of its part in the crucifixion of Jesus, the Christ.

1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending,
saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the
Almighty.

By adding the words ďthe almighty,Ē that made it definite that
this refers to The God. The same phrase, without that modifying
phrase, were used in verse 22:13 to refer to Jesus.

1:9 I, John, who also am your brother, and companion in
tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was
in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for
the testimony of Jesus Christ.

All three of these things belong to Jesus Christ. It is his
tribulation; it is his kingdom; it is his patience, or endurance.
John was experiencing the same troubles as others who had
testified about the word of God, and had given testimony that
Jesus was the christ.

1:10 I was in the spirit on the Lord=s
day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

This "in spirit" state enabled John to see visions of things that
God wanted him to see, and which he then shared with other
believers. The word heard may mean to actually hear something
audible with the ears, or to hear only in the mind. It is not
clear which is meant here.

1:11 saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and last: and,
What thou seest, write in a book and send it unto the seven
churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and
unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto
Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

This is a repetition from an earlier verse where it referred to
The God. Here, though, it refers to Jesus, the Christ, not to
The God. First and last refers to the two Adams. The
seven assemblies represent the complete church age, from the
beginning until the return of the messiah. The seven assemblies
named represent the completeness, or fulfillment, of the time of
the assemblies in the plan of God.

1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And
being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

Golden indicates that
these candlesticks were precious to God. These seven candlesticks
represent the seven assemblies, which were to be bearers of the
light.

1:13 and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto
the son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt
about the paps with a golden girdle.

Up until this time no apostle had ever described what our body, or
the body of Jesus, the Christ, would be like. He wore a garment
reaching to the feet, and wrapped about the chest with a golden
girdle. The girdle was a kind of sash for gathering in long,
flowing garments.

1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as
snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

John was describing the body of the risen Jesus. White indicates
purity and righteousness. White head and white hair indicates
purity of thought. Eyes are the perceptive organs of the body
which send symbols to the brain for translation into knowledge.
Flame of fire indicates righteous judgment.

1:15 and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a
furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

Since fire indicates cleansing, if his feet glowed as if in a
furnace, this would indicate a cleansed walk. His path would be
one of righteousness, with nothing to be criticized. Water is
usually associated with large crowds of people. Whether like that
of a trumpet, as described earlier, or as the roar of a multitude
of voices, the voice was loud enough to draw attention to what was
being said.

1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his
mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the
sun shineth in his strength.

The right hand indicates power. Being held in the right hand means
that these seven stars are under the powerful guidance of the one
who is the guardian and light of the assemblies. The two-edged
sword means that the word is constantly going forth from the mouth
of Jesus to the angels of the churches. The great light going
forth from his countenance was the light to be reflected by the
seven candlesticks.

The
first part of verse 1:20 refers back to verse 1:16.

1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he
laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the
first and the last:

This was a picture of Jesus, the Christ, when he returns. The
right hand indicates power, and it was the power of God flowing
out through Jesus which brought comfort to John.

1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am
alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Jesus stated the fact of his resurrection from among the dead
ones, and also his ascension to the right hand of God. Even though
he was alive, and then died, he said that he is alive again.
Jesus stated that he could open hell and death because he has the
key. Death will yield to the shout of an archangel (the shout is
the key) and the graves (hades) will be opened.

1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things
which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

John was to write about the things which apply both to this age of
grace and to the next age, the kingdom of God.

1:20 the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my
right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars
are the angels of the seven churches: the seven candlesticks which
thou sawest are the seven churches.

These seven angels are the seven elders of the seven churches.
The candlesticks, the seven churches, reflect most of the light,
which they get from the one who is walking among themóJesus, the
Christ. He is the real light reflecting the glory and truth of God
in all its splendor. This is the light which the candlesticks
reflect.

2:1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write: These
things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand,
who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

This refers to his guardianship and power over the stars, or
elders, and his headship of the seven lampstands, or churches.

2:2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and
how thou canst not bear them which are evil:

2:3 and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name=s
sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

They were proud of the name of Jesus, the Christ. They labored
with patience to uphold the honor of Jesus and all he had
accomplished. They did not wish to bring shame upon him, for his
nameís sake.

2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou
hast left thy first love.

Their love was greatófor awhile. The works pleasing to God must be
predicated upon the first love. Those seeking to serve God
sometimes forget this first principle of pleasing service, and
works become the motivation in their lives instead of love. God is
warning us not to leave our first love.

2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and
repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee
quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place except
thou repent.

Periodically, we should pause and reflect upon whether or not we
are walking in total obedience to God. If their works are not
based upon love of God, their candlestick will be removed, which
means that the church would no longer reflect the truth of God to
those around them.

2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the
Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

According to tradition, some of their practices included
unrestrained indulgences, communal wives, and not distinguishing
between ordinary meats and those offered to idols. Some believe
that this was a reference to the notion of a priestly order, which
lead to dividing the church into priests, or clergy, and laity.

2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith
unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of
the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

This means that the person must be continually overcoming in their
life. When Jesus died on the cross, or tree, that cross became a
symbol of the tree of life to believers. Access to the tree of
life is determined by proper works, based upon proper faith and
love of God. Even though the cross became a tree of life for
everyone when Jesus died upon it, what he purchased and bestowed
upon every person can be wasted.

2:8 And unto the angel of the church of Smyrna write; These
things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

Please refer back to the comments on verse 1:11 and verse 1:18.

2:9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but
thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are
Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of satan.

Those in the church who endure tribulation and poverty are rich in
faith; they will inherit the kingdom of God at the return of the
christ. Because only recognized religions were respected by the
Romans, people claimed to be Jews to avoid persecution. At the
beginning of this age, the early church was accepted as a new
branch of Judaism. Later, the Jews no longer considered it to be
part of the Jewish faith. Since the Roman government had granted
Jews the right to peaceful existence, denying that believers were
part of Judaism meant the church was operating outside the Roman
law, and subject to persecution. Those opposing God are sometimes
called satan, sometimes the beast, sometimes the antichrist, and
sometimes the serpent. None of these terms should be taken
literally óthey all apply to some form of opposition to God.

2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer:
behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye
shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and
I will give thee a crown of life.

This warning is different because it did not convey a sense of
repentance needed, but an early warning of trials which were about
to occur. The devil is not a person, but a personification, a
noun used to indicate anyone who opposes the will of God in some
specific cause. Those who witnessed for God were being persecuted
by others. Crown means the wreath which was given to winners of
games or other endeavors. Here, it symbolizes those who were
"winners," so to speak, of eternal life. In other words, they did
not waste what God had given them by grace.

2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith
unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the
second death.

At the judgment seat of Christ, a personís works will be judged to
determine whether or not that person will be allowed to enter the
next age in a place of blessing or a place of judgment and
discipline, referred to in other scriptures as "outer darkness."
Many people mistakenly confuse outer darkness with hell. Outer
darkness is simply any place outside the kingdom of God. This is
the second death.

2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These
things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

This indicates the word which guides the churches.

2:13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where
satan=s
seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my
faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr,
who was slain among you, where satan dwelleth.

Those who opposed God and his christ were attempting to impose
their rule over the small group of believers. However, such
attempts will ultimately fail as long as believers remain
faithful. They absolutely did not deny my faith. Why my faith?
Because faith is a gift to every person. It never arises because
of any personís activity. It is a gift from God, through Jesus
Christ, and attested to by holy spirit. The holy spirit
acknowledges Jesus and all his deeds accomplished for the
salvation of mankind. All of this comprises what is here called
"my faith."

2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast
there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to
cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat
things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

The church has often tolerated those who hold to false doctrines.
The early church was expected to distinguish between right and
wrong doctrine. The teachings of Balaam were those of the earth
goddess religion. Sex was not limited to marriage, but practiced
with temple prostitutes. They also ate food sacrificed to idols.
Fornication means to prostitute your body to the lust of another.

2:15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the
Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.

Review the comments for verse 2:6. No matter what the false
doctrine is, the result is the same. People who follow after false
doctrines leave the straight way, and become apostate, useless to
God.

2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will
fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Fight means not only
to fight, but to make war. Earlier, he said he hated the deeds of
the Nicolaitanes; now he says he will make war against them. The
two-edged sword out of the lordís mouth shows that it is his word
which sets the real judgment and executes that judgment.

2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith
unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of
the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the
stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that
receiveth it.

Jesus said he was the real manna from heaven, and now he has
returned there. Therefore, he is the hidden manna which the
overcomers will eat. Simply put, Jesus is still the manna, or
spiritual food, for believers. Jurors gave a white stone to the
person they acquitted of a crime. A white stone was also given as
an admittance ticket to royal benefits. The new name is generally
assumed to be that of the person bearing the stone. However, it
may also be the new name of the one who gives the authority
indicated by the stone.

2:18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These
things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame
of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

Whenever the term "the son of the God" is used, it always means
messiah, or king of kings. "Feet like fine brass" could represent
the earthly walk of Jesus.

2:19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith,
and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the
first.

Charity means love based
upon the will, enabled by God, and wishing the best for everyone,
including enemies. Service refers to those who promote the
welfare of the church, at least by helping the poor and
suffering. Faith refers more to fidelity than believing.
Patience, or endurance, indicates they were steadfast and constant
in their faith and love. Works are those acts of service
motivated by their love of God.

2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because
thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a
prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit
fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

Jezebel was a followeróprobably a priestessóof the earth-goddess
religion which was still prevalent in Johnís day.

2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and
she repented not.

Rather than repentance, the false teachings continued. Many people
were ignorant about the god to whom they now claimed allegiance,
and they knowingly or unknowingly brought over certain elements
from their former idol worship which were unfitted for the worship
of God.

2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit
adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of
their deeds.

Adultery means unlawful intercourse with anotherís wife. The
Hebrew word also meant, "those who at a womanís solicitation are
drawn away to idolatry, to the eating of things sacrificed to
idols." Tribulation means tightly compressed, in dire straits.

2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the
churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and
hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your
works.

This phrase is a Hebrew expression used to express emphasis. It is
similar to the English expression, "I will kill you dead!"
Her children would be anyone who followed her false teachings.
Reins means kidneys, or loins, which people thought were the seat
of feelings or emotions.

2:24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as
many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the
depths of satan, as they speak; I will put upon you non other
burden.

While some had been deceived and had followed the teachings of
Jezebel, others had not done so. God was saying simply that
nothing more would be expected but to remain steadfast in the
faith until the end. This should be a great comfort to those who
think they must be constantly "doing something" for God.

2:25 But after that which ye have already hold fast till I
come.

Remain steadfast and faithful.

2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the
end, to him will I give power over the nations:

Power means authority.
The overcomer will have great authority over the nations, or
Gentiles. As far as God is concerned, there is no such thing as
Jew or Gentile. He broke down the middle wall of partition, did
away with the enmity, made the two into one, and reconciled them
both to himself through the sacrifice of his son. Any Gentile of
this age who believes that Jesus is the christ will be considered
to be an Israelite, and will come under the covenant God gave
Abraham. Those who do not believe, even if they are Jews
ethnically, will be considered to be a Gentile, or an unbeliever,
in the next age.

2:27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels
of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of
my Father.

The overcomers will rule over these unbelievers in a very strict
manner.

2:28 And I will give him the morning star.

The "morning star," is considered to be the brightest star in the
heavens. The word star indicates someone who is outstanding in
what they do. This star signifies someone outstanding in spiritual
matters.

2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith
unto the churches.

Pay attention, understand, and heed my words..

3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These
things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven
stars; I know they works, that thou hast a name that thou livest,
and art dead.

This refers to his command of the holy spirit and the seven
elders. For other comments, please refer back to the comments on
verse 1:4 and the comments for verse 1:20.

3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain,
that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect
before God.

The danger was that unless these works were strengthened, even
those few correct things would die. If that happened, the church
would no longer have any reason for existence. Perfect, or
complete, works are those which receive the approval of Jesus, the
head of the body of christ. Works will be counted as
righteousness, or perfect, to the person doing them if those works
are based on faith and love of God.

3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and
hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will
come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will
come upon thee.

Some heard as this was read to them; others read it for
themselves. Either way, they were to keep what they received and
heard, which was the instruction back in verse 1:3. Keep means to
have it as a personal possession, and to guard it against being
polluted. They were also admonished to hold fast and repent. In
other words, they were to change their ways, and strengthen their
remaining good works. However Jesus will come, to the watchful
group, his coming is expected; to the others, it is a surprise.

3:4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not
defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for
they are worthy.

Each set of trials that the overcomers have to endure qualifies
each judgment made that they are overcomers. Walking in white
means that their works have been judged as righteous.

3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white
raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life,
but I will confess his name, and before his angels.

White garments refers to the righteousness of the saints.; or, it
can also refer to the glorified body of the overcomers, which will
be like the glorified body of Jesus. Jesus reconciled all men to
God at the cross. Therefore, all are saved when they enter the
world (their names are in the book of life). What people do with
their salvation, whether they believe in Jesus or not, whether
they obey God and serve him through loveóall this will determine
whether or not they keep their salvation (keeping their names in
the book), or have their names blotted out of the book.

3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith
unto the churches.

Pay attention, understand, and heed my words..

3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write;
These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath
the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and
shutteth, and no man openeth;

Holy means separation. Jesus was completely separated to God. He
was without sin while living on earth and therefore separate. He
was resurrected and ascended to the Father, and thereby departed
completely from us sinners who were left. Jesus was completely
true to his calling to reveal the Father to men. Jesus will be
given the key of David, which signifies his power to rule.

3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open
door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast little strength, and
hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

Jesus, the head of the church, recognizes they still have a
ministry, albeit a diminished one. Strength refers to the power of
God directed to people through holy spirit. Deny means to
renounce something, or forsake it, or show an estrangement from a
thing or person.

3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of satan,
which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will
make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I
have loved thee.

When a person approaches someone who has power over them,
proskuneo, worship, indicates the form of the body rather than
the attitude of the heart. Those who lied about being Jews, to
avoid persecution, probably thought those who did not lie were
foolish, that a little lie did not matter. But it matters to God,
who says he will deal with the liars so they will know that "God
loved the overcomers" who were persecuted.

3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also
will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon
all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Many consider this a promise that all the believers will be
raptured out of the great tribulation. However, believers will
most likely be here on earth, but under the loving care of God.
When Godís last judgmentóthe floodócame upon the earth, Noah and
his family were saved from drowning. However, they went through
the flood in the ark, under Godís protection. The same will
probably be true for believers during the tribulation period.
This test, or trial, will be done to sift the wheat from the
chaff, or the believers from the unbelievers. If people remain
faithful through persecution, their faith is well grounded upon
the knowledge of Godís grace and truth.

3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast,
that no man take thy crown.

Quickly is not a description of how soon he will return, but
describes the method of his return. When he does return, it will
not be a long, drawn out process; he will come quickly. Therefore,
we must constantly be on the alert for his coming. When the signs
begin to multiply, once he starts his return, he will come
quickly.

3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of
my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the
name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is the
new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I
will write upon him my new name.

What is the significance of writing these names upon the overcomer?
Earlier, the new name Lord was written on a stone which entitled
the person holding it to enter royal functions. Now, after the
overcomers have been allowed to enter the holy place and the holy
of holies, they will no longer need the stone for entrance. They
will be admitted to, and will remain in, the presence of God
because the new name of God, the name of New Jerusalem, and the
new name of Jesus, the Christ, will all be written on them.

3:13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith
unto the churches.

Pay attention, understand, and heed my words..

3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;
These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the
beginning of the creation of God;

Jesus was judged faithful because he did exactly what God told him
to do. He was true because he spoke nothing or did nothing except
what God told him. Whatever he did revealed the Father; whatever
he spoke was true of the Father. Therefore, he was the only one
faithful and true witness of God. Jehovah was the first creation
of God, and he became the man, Jesus.

Some works were performed in a perfunctory manner. The people
doing them were apathetic, and did not seem to care whether they
were accomplished or not.

3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor
hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

This attitude was anathema to God. He expressed disdain, and told
them it made him want to vomit!

3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods,
and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched,
and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Many worldly churches believe that wealth is a symbol of Godís
blessingóthey do not even realize they are spiritually bankrupt.
Miserable means in need of being pitied. They were poor
spiritually, not materially. They were mentally blind. They could
not understand spiritual things because they habitually obscured
the truth by raising a smoke screen. Naked means they were openly
exposed in a spiritual sense.

3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that
thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be
clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and
anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.

This means to return to the true faith again so they may be rich
spiritually. They will then have white garmentsóthe clothing of
righteousnessóand the shame of their nakedness would not be
manifest. Buy eye-salve that they might see means to open their
eyes to what has happened to them.

3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous
therefore, and repent.

Rebuke means to correct misguided people Even with all their
faults, the Lord still considers these people part of his close
family. Chasten refers to training or educating . Essentially,
this means to instruct in Godís ways. He will instruct and guide
us when we make a wrong turn, or lose our way.

3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear
my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup
with him, and he with me.

Read in context, Jesus is speaking of the church door, not the
door of someoneís heart. In this age, the Lord is knocking at the
doors of the churches. But at the end of this age, those who
refused to answer the knock will be knocking at the Lordís
dooróthe entrance into the kingdom of Godóand they will not be
heard.

3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my
throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in
his throne.

The throne is symbolic of the power which will be granted to the
overcomers. They will receive power from Jesus just as he
received power from the Father.

3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith
unto the churches.

4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in
heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a
trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will
shew thee things which must be hereafter.

Just a reminder, as far as we know heaven does not have any doors.
What John saw was not reality, but a representation of something.
Heaven is a metaphor for the place where God supposedly dwells.
In the vision, God simply transferred John mentally into this new
dimension called heaven. God did this to enlighten him about what
he was going to bring forth on the earth in his day of wrath, or
judgment.

4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a
throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

The thronein heaven indicated the seat of power. Sitting
indicates repose and absolute power, and shows that Godís power
may be used at his discretion, without great exertion on his part.

4:3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a
sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in
sight like an emerald.

Jasper and sardine are precious gemstones. The rainbow probably
refers to glory of the Lord, just as did the shekinah cloud.

4:4 and round about the throne were four and twenty seats:
and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed
in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

God was sitting upon a throne
surrounded with a rainbow which looked like precious gems. It was
this throne which was surrounded by 24 other seats, although the
word used is actually the same word that was translated as the
throne upon which God sat. These elders were not identified, but
they are righteous, since white raiment indicates righteousness.
The gold crowns symbolizes their great spiritual worth.

4:5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and
thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning
before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

Lightning symbolizes the presence of God. Thunder symbolizes the
voice of God. The number seven denotes completeness or
fulfillment. Thus, the seven spirits indicated the holy spirit,
represented here as seven lamps of fire. Fire signifies
cleansing. In this case, it is the absolute judgment of God upon
those who have resisted, and are still resisting, his purposes for
his creation.

4:6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto
crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the
throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

The sea of glass indicates the remoteness, or separation, of God
from his creation. Four beasts, better translated as living
creatures, represent the totality of the world, or earth. The
eyes before and behind indicate the fullness of knowledge.

4:7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second
beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and
the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

The lion
represents the wild animals of nature. The calf represents all the domesticated
animals. Man represents all humanity. The eagle represents all
the birds. The number four indicates the totality of all the
living creatures of nature.

4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about
him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and
night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and
is, and is to come.

The four living creatures have the duty, or perhaps the privilege,
of continually worshiping God, who is eternal in the true sense of
the word. He was, and is, and is to come.

4:9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks
to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

The living creatures are there
day and night, but they are speaking only occasionally.
Giving glory
means recognizing, and repeating to God, how magnificent,
excellent, dignified, and pre-eminent he is. Giving honour means
recognizing the great worth of God and his priceless gifts to
humanity and all creation. Thanksgiving is the recognition of his
grace with heartfelt thanks.

4:10 the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat
on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and
cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

Nature, the four living creatures, lead the 24 elders,
representing humanity, in worshiping God. Crowns refers to the
wreaths given to winners of contests. Golden crowns, signifying
great worth, indicate that the ones receiving these crowns had run
a difficult race, and they had won.

4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and
power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they
are and were created.

All the things people erroneously seek after in this life actually
belong to The God,
and he did not want anyone to misunderstand that all the glory,
and the honor, and the power belong to him. It was God who
created everything, so that everything he created should give him
the glory, the honor, and the power.

5:1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the
throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with
seven seals.

This was not a large scroll, but a small one. The throne
indicates royalty and power, and the book refers to Godís purposes
which have not been fully revealed before. One seal was usually
sufficient to seal a document. Seven indicates the completeness,
fullness of secrecy, and deep obscurity of the information
contained in this small scroll.

5:2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice,
Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

This scroll of God could be opened only by someone whose deeds and
worth are equal to the weight of Godís words contained in the
scroll.

5:3 And no man in heaven, neither under the earth, was able
to open the book, neither to look thereon.

No one, living or dead, was worthy to open the book; no one could
be found to even look at it, indicating that no one will ever be
justified by works. Justification is by the grace of God, and we
can claim nothing from him no matter how much work we have done.

5:4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open
and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

Here was a book containing Godís secret intent for mankind, and as
far as John knew it had to remain closed. Little wonder that he
wept. To be worthy was to have enough power of the holy spirit to
open the book and read it.

5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold,
the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed
to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

The lion illustrated the great strength needed to open the book.
Jesus, as the lion of Judah, the root of David, shall open the
book, and loose the seven seals. He was worthy because he had
lived without sin under the guidance of holy spirit, which he had
without measure, and his power was not diminished, or wasted, by
sin in his life. He was wholly committed to the service of God.

5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of
the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as
it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are
the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

The four living creatures symbolize nature. The 24 elders
represent mankind. The lamb being in their midst represents a
close association of some kind. Previously, Jesus was referred to
as a lion, referring to his power to bring retribution and
judgment upon the people who oppose Godís purposes. It is as the
lamb that he was killed for our salvation. When called a lamb, it
indicates that Jesus was bringing salvation, not judgment, to the
world. It is as the lamb that he stands amidst the living
creatures and the elders who represent redeemed mankind and
nature. Horns indicate power, and seven means perfection,
completeness, or totality. The seven eyes and seven spirits
indicate that Jesus has been given the fullness of the holy
spirit, with full knowledge of the things he must deal with. The
seven eyes are the holy spirit which was sent into all the earth.
Nothing is hidden from the christ because the holy spirit reveals
everything to him.

5:7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of
him that sat on the throne.

Jesus took the book out of Godís hand.

5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four
and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of
them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers
of saints.

To fall down means to recognize the lambís status as lord, or
master.
The saints are the separated ones. Judicially, everyone is now a
saint. By the death of Jesus, the Christ, every person was
separated to God and baptized into one body by the gift of holy
spirit. Experientially, however, only those who are committed to
God are hagioi, or separated ones.

5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to
take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain,
and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and
tongue, and people, and nation;

They have been singing the holiness of God, but now they sing a
new song. It is not a song that has just come into existence, but
an old song of praise that has been changed, improved, and added
to. It is a new song in terms of its quality. Being slain made
him worthy to open the scroll because he was also the first-born
from the dead, and because his life was lived without sin. This
also qualified him to be the messiah, or christ. His life, death,
resurrection, and ascension to God were also an affirmation of
another part of the new song they sing. We belong to God because
we were purchased by the blood of Jesus, his son. God will create
another group of people of every tongue, and every tribe, and
every people (ethnic group), and every nation.

5:10 and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we
shall reign on the earth.

The message of the "new song" is that the saints will be made a
nation of priests to God. These are the overcomers, who will have
a body like that of Jesus. They will no longer be influenced by
the pull of human nature, or by the world and its religions. They
will be totally committed to the cause of God.

5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round
about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of
them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of
thousands;

These angels are the spirits of the dead, clothed in interim
bodies, who are awaiting the return of Jesus. The white raiment
of righteousness, which clothes our spirits at death, is a gift of
grace brought about by the life and death of Jesus. Every person
is granted this status until the judgment seat of Jesus Christ.
After that, some will enter into the next age in a place of
blessing and others will enter into outer darkness.

5:12
saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to
receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour,
and glory, and blessing.

The lamb is the worthy one here, not the lion. The focus is on
salvation, not judgment. Jesus is not just receivingóhe has the
authority and power to take all of these things. Wisdom, a proper
application and use of knowledge; strength which is reserve power;
honor, and glory, and blessing from all nature and humanity.

5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth,
and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are
in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and
power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb
for ever and ever.

Creature includes all of nature and mankind. There is a
distinction between him that sits upon the throne, and the lamb.
The lamb, Jesus, does not sit upon the throne in heaven, only
The God sits there.

5:14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty
elders fell down and worshiped him that liveth for ever and ever.

The four living creatures are saying they believe that the lamb is
really worthy of the song that the whole universe had just
finished singing. The elders worship God, not the lamb! God is
the one John refers to as living into the ages of ages, not Jesus,
the Christ.

6:1 And I saw when the lamb opened one of the seals, and I
heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts
saying, Come and see.

All seven seals were most likely opened all at one time, but John
described them one at a time, in sequence.

6:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on
him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth
conquering, and to conquer.

The great and
terrible day of the lord occurs before Jesus returns to rule and
reign. Therefore, this rider must be somebody else. The bow was
an instrument of war. This person on the white horse was chosen
to absolutely assure a victory, to conquer or overcome certain
people. The first overcoming was done in order that he might
overcome others.

6:3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the
second beast say, Come and see.

All seven seals were most likely opened all at one time, but John
described them one at a time, in sequence. The four living
creatures are taking turns calling John to come take a look at
what was happening.

6:4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power
was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth,
and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto
him a great sword.

This person on the red horse, representing war, was given the
power to take peace from the entire earth. This war includes
every kingdom and class of people existing on earth. How better
to conquer the world than to turn people against one another and
thus destroy themselves? A great sword indicates massive
destruction and death.

6:5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third
beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and
he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

As a result of war, a black horse, famine, also follows. The
balance signified that food would be in short supply and would be
weighed, or rationed out.

6:6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say,
A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a
penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

A measure would be enough
to support a person of moderate appetite for one day. This
measure would cost the equivalent of a full dayís wages, just to
keep one person fed. The oil and wine will not be rationed, but
only the wealthy will be able to afford them. The poor will
receive none of the oil and wine as they will not have the
resources to purchase them.

6:7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the
voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

All seven seals were most likely opened all at one time, but John
described them one at a time, in sequence. The four living
creatures are taking turns calling John to come take a look at
what was happening.

6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that
sat on him was Death, and hell followed with him. And power was
given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with
sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the
earth.

Please keep in mind, there are really no horses, and there is no
one actually sitting on any horse. These are symbols to help John
understand Godís purposes for the earth in the last days,
including the return of Jesus. This horse was probably the
greenish color of a deathly sickness, indicating the deaths from
both war and disease. Over is a spatial term, not a mathematical
one, and refers to the area of the killing, not the number of
people killed. The riders will be allowed to take over one-fourth
of the earthís area, and to kill over, or within, that area.
Beasts describes mean, brutal people who make up the army which
will be waging war over one-fourth of the earth.

6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the
altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and
for the testimony which they held:

John saw the altar of burnt sacrifice in the heavenly
tabernacle of God. The blood of the sacrifices was poured out at
the bottom, or under, the altar. This represents the people who
were slain because of their testimony for God, pictured as though
they were sacrifices to God upon his altar.

6:10 and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O
Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on
them that dwell on the earth?

They wanted God to judge, and then avenge, or punish, the ones who
killed them.

6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it
was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season,
until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be
killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

The white robes here indicate royal stature; the overcomers will
be both priests and kings. They had to wait until others were
also killed.

6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo,
there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as
sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

Earthquakes are often used in the scriptures to symbolize the
shaking of manís systems. The sun, the light of God, has been
obscured by the blackness of lies, deceit, and utter depravity of
those opposing God. Therefore, the moon will not reflect the
light of God, but the true purpose of the rider on the white
horse, which is bloodshed.

6:13 and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a
fig tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken of a might
wind.

The stars, the leaders of the churches, have fallen. They no
longer reflect the light of God, but are cooperating with the
rider of the white horse. Therefore, they are no longer useful to
God. Figs that fall too soon are good for nothing. Even so, the
stars are shaken loose. Just as figs can be destroyed when shaken
by a great wind, so the stars are fallen from heaven in the
shaking, or earthquake.

6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled
together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their
places.

The stars were to reflect Godís glory to men. They were no longer
fulfilling that mission. It does not say that God rolled up the
heaven; it is men who no longer discern it as the glory of The
God. Like a scroll when it is rolled up, nothing of its
meaning can be discerned in that condition. The mountains refer
to the high power of great governments, and the hills represent
the lesser powers.

6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the
rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every
bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the
rocks of the mountains;

These are the influential people who make up the mountains.
Throughout the Bible, men fled to the mountains in times of war
and great distress. Here, all menórich, powerful, strong, kings,
bondmen, pooróare reacting in fear.

Prolepsis. John skipped right over the return of the Christ,
which must occur before the great wrath, and described something
which will occur later.

Verses 6:15-17 contain a proleptic statement which fits in with
verse 15:8. When the seven plagues begin, then the kings of the
earth, the great men, the rich men, and everyone else will hide
and cry for the mountains and rocks to fall on them to hide them
from the wrath of God.

6:16 and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide
us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the
wrath of the Lamb:

Their fear is so great that they want the rocks to fall
immediately; they want to be hidden immediately. Face indicates
the presence of God. The wrath people fear is a sustained anger
which will continue until its purpose is fulfilled. This is the
wrath of the lamb who is now showing the attributes of a lion.

6:17 for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be
able to stand?

This wrath will surpass anything which the world has ever seen.
And this wrath will endure until it brings about Godís rule over
the entire earth.

As
Chapter 6 ended, events were almost at the brink of the coming of
Jesus...but not quite yet.

7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the
four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth,
that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on
any tree.

The four corners symbolize the four cardinal directions of the
compass, which would include the entire planet. The angels are
messengers who are holding the holy spirit of God to prevent it
from blowing, or acting, upon those on the earth. Trees are often
used as symbols of strong men, and seas represent the mass of
people.
With the removal of the holy spirit, there will no longer be
anything to restrict the evil of men.

7:2
And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal
of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four
angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

The seal of the living God is holy spirit.The four angels
on the four corners of the earth were not allowing the holy spirit
to blow upon men, earth, or sea, and the ascending angel was
returning it to God.

7:3 saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the
trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their
foreheads.

The four angels were restricted from injuring the earth, sea, and
trees until Godís servants were sealed. The seal on their
foreheads probably means that these people are given the power of
holy spirit to be wholly, mentally dedicated to God. They
received enough of holy spirit as a seal to perform the duties for
which they were called.

7:4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and
there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all
the tribes of the children of Israel.

The number 144,000 is not meant literally, nor is it meant to
limit the number of people sealed. This number indicates all of
the overcomers, those who will rule and reign with the lord upon
his return to earth. Israel includes both Jews and Gentiles,
since both were reconciled to God. In the common vernacular of
today, we say that believers become Christians; but according to
Paul, believers become Israelites.

7:5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of
the tribe of Rueben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Gad were sealed twelve thousand.

The scriptures offer no reason for why Dan was omitted from being
marked as one of Godís servants. Again, the numbers are not to be
taken literally. They simply indicate that a great multitude of
people will be sealed.

7:6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of
the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe
of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.

See the commentary for verse 7:5.

7:7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of
the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.

See the commentary for verse 7:5.

7:8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. of
the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. of the tribe of
Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

See the commentary for verse 7:5.

7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which
no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and
tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed in
white robes, and palms in their hands;

This is a figure of speech indicating that there were a huge
number of people. Nation means both Jews and Gentiles. John
showed emphatically that the people in this great multitude
included all nations and peoples and languages of the earth.
Standing before the throne signifies judgment. These people have
passed Godís judgment as they wore white robes, indicating
righteousness.

7:10 and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God
which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

The salvation, or the 1,000 year reign, is the ultimate revelation
to mankind that God has honored his commitment to the fathers.
This is his righteousness, or the salvation. The lamb was the one
God used to fulfill the law; he was the sacrifice for the sins of
the whole world; he reconciled the world to God. Therefore, the
lamb is honored along with God. But, only God is sitting on the
throne, not Jesus.

7:11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and
about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne
on their faces, and worshiped God,

The multitude of people is now referred to as angels. The elders
and the four living creatures are the inner circle of those in the
service of God. The angels, or people, are further away yet still
in the vicinity of Godís throne.

7:12 saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and
thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God
for ever and ever, Amen.

The Greek language derives the words for truth, faith, and
righteousness from amen. When people say amen, it should mean that
they agree that what is said is true, or faithful, or righteous.
Therefore, the list of things they attributed to The God
are assumed to be absolutely true.

7:
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, what are
these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

The key words in this verse are "who" and "where."

7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said unto
me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have
washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

These are they who came out of the tribulation, the great (one).
This is the rest of the fellow-servants killed during the great
tribulation. These people have already received the white raiment
of the first group. While still upon the earth, during the great
tribulation, they paid with their lives for continuing to witness
for God. They washed their robes and made them white by shedding
their own blood.

7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve
him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne
shall dwell among them.

They are now being rewarded, given a place close to God to serve
as his priests in the heavenly temple.To dwell, or tabernacle, over them literally means God will
spread his tent over them and protect them.

7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more;
neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

God will guard and provide for them.

7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall
feed them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes.

The lamb, the good shepherd in his earthly life, will still be
doing the same in the next age, providing both the food of God and
the water of life.

8:1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was
silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

The silence in heaven must have been because all those present
were holding their breaths, wondering what was going to happen
next. This book had been sealed throughout the ages, with only
portions revealed to the prophets. This book provides all the
final answers! No wonder they were silent while awaiting further
developments. A half hour means it was only a short interval.

8:2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and
to them were given seven trumpets.

In Vision One, there were seven angels to the seven churches.
Here, seven angels stand ready to carry out the will of God by
blowing seven trumpets. The number seven indicates spiritual
completion, fulfillment, or totality. The sounding of the trumpet
meant that God was fighting on the side of Israel, and the blowing
of the trumpets here means the same thing.

8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a
golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense. that he
should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden
altar which was before the throne.

Tthere are now eight angels. Eight is the number for a new
beginning. This "another angel" is definitely acting as high
priest. Since the only high priest in heaven is Jesus, then this
"another angel" is Jesus. The prayers here are all those prayers
for vengeance asking God to do what he had promised.

8:4 And the smoke of the incense, which came from the
prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel=s
hand.

Smoke indicates the fire of judgment which is contained in the
golden censer. This fire, or coals, heats the incense which rises
with the prayers of the saints.

8:5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire
of the altar, and cast it unto the earth: and there were voices,
and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

The filling of the censer in this verse was for the inhabitants of
the world. Because they did not recognize God, there were no
prayers to act as incense. Therefore, the fire from the altar
became not a blessing to them, but a judgment. Fire in the
scriptures often represents the judgment of God. These voices,
thunders, lightnings, and earthquakes will be heard and felt
throughout the world as they shake all the systems of government.

8:6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets
prepared themselves to sound.

There are seven angels and seven trumpets, signifying
completeness, or totality. These signify the different elements of
the complete judgment which will fall upon the earth.

8:7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and
fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and
the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was
burnt up.

Hail and fire, mingled with blood, signifies a great war, as God
brings his judgment upon the people of earth. Losing one third of
the trees, along with all green grass indicates a major blow to
the food supply on earth.

8:8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great
mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third
part of the sea became blood;

This great mountain, or army, or government, was burning with
fire. It was not only burning everything in its path, but was
itself being burned. The sea represents multitudes of people. This
great mountain, or powerful army, will come down upon the people
who dare to defy the false christ and the anti-christ government.
They will crush all opposition. The sea turning to blood
indicates that a third of the people on earth died with much
bloodshed.

8:9 and the third part of the creatures which were in the
sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were
destroyed.

War kills animals as well as people. This war will have a
"scorched earth" policy, and the army will destroy anything which
might provide support to their opponents. In addition, this war
will be fought everywhere, on the oceans as well as the land, and
one-third of all shipping will be destroyed.

8:10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star
from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third
part of the rivers, and upon fountains of waters;

The great star was burning like a lamp, which indicates that this
great star, or person, was, or was pretending to be, a bearer of
great religious light. However, he was not a revealer of God. This
great star was either the false christ, or one of his servants.
This war was meant to physically conquer the people, and also to
mentally conquer their minds. The false christ wanted to convert
all men to the anti-God, anti-christ religion he was promoting.

8:11 and the name of the star is Wormwood: and the third part
of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters,
because they were made bitter.

Wormwood indicates the bitter poison of false religious doctrines.
It will poison a third of the rivers and streams, which were those
truths sustaining a healthy belief in The God. This great
star causes the spiritual death of many people with its false
teaching. This star was the man on the white horse, or the false
christ of the anti-christ government, who was promoting war, both
physically and spiritually, upon the population of earth.

8:12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the sun was smitten,
and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars;
so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not
for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

The knowledge of God declared by the sun, moon, and stars will be
reduced by a third. The likely result of this reduction of
knowledge about God is that the people who have turned their backs
on God will be further deluded by the false christ.

All
of this will be a precursor to the return of Jesus, the Christ.

8:13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst
of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the
inhabitants of the earth by reason of the other voices of the
trumpet of the three angels which are yet to sound!

These woes will happen to those who dwell on the earth. Each
remaining trumpet to be blown signifies Godís denunciation of
those who dwell upon the earth. God is angry, and finally fed up
with the rebellion by those he created to glorify him. Woes
indicates a deeper category of suffering than previously.

9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from
heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key to the
bottomless pit.

The star was Wormwood, the false religious teacher who poisoned
the minds of one-third of mankind against God. The key was a
symbol of authority; in this case, the key was for opening the
"bottomless pit," or abyss.

9:2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a
smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun
and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

The star Wormwood opened the bottomless pit. A volcano, or a
large furnace, produces acrid smoke which obscures the vision.
Obscuring the air with smoke makes it difficult to see the sun,
which is a reference to the knowledge of God. Therefore, this darkening of
the sun and air refers to obscuring the knowledge of the true
God.

9:3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth:
and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have
power.

These locusts are people who had no power of their own, but were
given limited, specific power by a higher authority.

9:4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the
grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but
only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

Earlier, the army of the anti-christ government used a scorched
earth policy and destroyed the food supply. God commanded this
army of locusts not to use such methods (they were not to hurt the
grass, nor any green thing, nor any tree). These locusts, or
people, only have the authority to injure anyone without Godís
seal.

9:5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them,
but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment
was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

They were not allowed to kill, but they were allowed to torment
for five months. Both the abyss and the smoke refer to the
devilish character of these locusts, or men, which are part of the
anti-christ government.

9:6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not
find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

Those days refers to the time of the first woe. The sting of the
"locusts" will be so painful and debilitating that men shall seek
"the death," the total destruction of body, soul, and spirit.
However, these men cannot even kill themselves. Death simply is
not an option.

9:7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses
prepared for battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns
like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.

These locusts represented not the image of a horse, but the
purpose of a horse. Horses were war machines, and these locusts
were also instruments of war; hence, the comparison. The faces
were similar to, or equal to, the faces of men. In other words,
men were at the head of these awesome war machines.

9:8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth
were as the teeth of lions.

The horse-like images had hair like womenís hair. A lion has very
strong teeth, used to choke prey, and then tear it apart. These
were fearsome things.

9:9 And they had breastplates of iron; and the sound of
their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to
battle.

These war machines were evidently armored in some manner, and
quite noisy when operating.

9:10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were
stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five
months.

Whatever they were, they were going to sting people, to disable
them and make them painfully ill, but not to kill them. God
limited the power of the men running these war machines, and set a
limit on how long they could operate.

9:11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the
bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in
the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

Real locusts have no king; they go where the wind blows them,
wherever food is found. Having a king over them symbolizes that
this army now despoiling mankind has leadership, organization, and
purpose. Their king is the angel of the bottomless pit, the star
named Wormwood, the leader of a false religion which poisoned the
minds of many people, thereby destroying them for any usefulness
to God. Both the Hebrew and Greek names mean destroyer.

9:12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more
hereafter.

The star Wormwood fell from heaven, opened the bottomless pit, and
released a living hell upon the inhabitants of the world with his
warfare.

9:13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the
four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

The number four signifies the completeness of all four directions.
Horns symbolize strength. The golden altar is the altar of
incense. The altar of incense, or the golden altar, signified
the prayers of the people. When the smoke of the incense rose, it
represented the prayers rising up to God.

9:14 saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose
the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates,

The phrase "bound in the great river Euphrates" limits them to the
Middle East region. If the four angels are the leaders of this
army to be released, then this army consists of all the armies of
the Middle East.

9:15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for
an hour and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third
part of men.

This clearly shows that God does not act on impulse, but by divine
design. The angels, or the messengers, had been prepared long ago
for this exact hour. This is not just any hour. This is the hour,
which is a specific hour designated by God long ago, definite to a
day, a month, and a year.

9:16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two
hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

The four angels which were loosed have turned into an army of
200,000,000 cavalrymen.

9:17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that
sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and
brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions;
and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

How could fire be contained as a breastplate? The answer is found
in the grammar. The words used for fire, jacinth, and brimstone
are adjectives, not nouns. Therefore, the breastplates are
fire-like, jacinth-like, and brimstone-like. Both fire and
brimstone are regarded in scripture as means of purification, or
purging.

9:18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the
fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of
their mouths.

God brought in this great army from the north to punish the errant
people who opposed him. Keep in mind that Godís judgments are not
only to punish, but also to purge his people from wrong doing,
that they might abide in his blessing.

9:19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails:
for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with
them they do hurt.

The power to kill one-third of the people on earth came not only
from the mouths of these war horses in the form of fire, smoke and
brimstone, but also from their tails.

9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these
plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they
should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and
brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear,
nor walk:

God wanted people to repent, or change their minds, about which
god they would serve. However, none repented, or changed their
minds about whom or what they would worship.

9:21 neither repented they of their murders, nor of their
sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

These are four characteristics of their life-style and religion,
things they will not repent of, or change their minds about.

10:1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven,
clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his
face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

This "another
mighty angel" was Jesus, the Christ. "Clothed with a cloud"
refers to Jesus. He ascended in a cloud, and the disciples were
informed he would return in like manner. There are two necessary
conditions for a rainbow: a bright light and a cloud. This angel
was clothed with a cloud, his face was described as being bright
as the sun, and his feet were as pillars of fire. He brought his
own brightness which could provide enough light to cause the
rainbow.

10:2 and he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his
right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,

Jesus was the only one worthy to take the little book from the
open hand of God, and break the seven seals to reveal Godís plan
for the end of this age and the beginning of the next. Having his
feet on the sea and earth shows his authority over them, and
indicates that his power and dominion will be without limit during
the next age.

10:3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and
when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

The number seven means completeness, or fullness. Therefore, these
seven thunders, or vocal messages from God, signify a complete
revelation of things to John.

10:4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I
was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto
me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and
write them not.

Whatever the seven thunders said was only for John and was not to
be shared with others.

10:5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the
earth lifted his hand to heaven,

This shows the extent of Jesusí authority when he returns to
earth. "Lifting up his hand to heaven" indicated taking an oath.
In other words, the "another mighty angel" was promising, or
swearing an oath.

10:6 and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who
created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth,
and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which
are therein, that there should be time no longer:

In other words, the "another mighty angel" was promising, or
swearing an oath to him that lives forever and forever. Only one
is immortal from himself, and that is The God. Therefore,
the "another mighty angel" was swearing an oath to The God.
What the "another mighty angel" swore when he lifted up his hand
to heaven was that there should be no more time. When Jesus
returns, time as we know it (chronos, or measured time)
will cease to exist.

10:7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when
he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as
he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

Whenever he shall begin to sound the trumpet, the mystery of God
shall be finished. This refers to what will happen when we get to
the sounding of the seventh trumpet in verse 11:15. Remember,
that the soundings of all seven trumpets are included in the
opening of the seventh seal by Jesus. The seventh seal signified
completion of Godís actions in bringing about the beginning of a
new age, the kingdom of God. The "mystery of God" is the complete
history of mankind. This history will be finished when the seventh
angel sounds his trumpet.

10:8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me
again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the
hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

John is commanded to go take the book. The word for book
indicates it is a small book.

10:9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the
little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up=
and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth
sweet as honey.

To approach such an awesome person as this ďanother angelĒ must
have taken a great deal of courage. The mighty angel commanded
John to take the book and eat it. This command was not meant in a
literal sense. It meant that John was to understand what was
written, to digest it with his mind and emotions, and to believe
what it taught him about the future actions of God.

10:10 And I took the little book out of the angels=
hand, and ate it up=
and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten
it, my belly was bitter.

This means that first John wouldrejoice at the good news
which this little book revealed, but he would be greatly
distressed as he contemplated the horrors of Godís wrath to those
on the earth.

10:11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many
peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

Instead of "prophesy again before" a more accurate translation
would be "prophesy again as to" or "prophesy again in regard to"
many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. John was not
to prophesy "to" many peoples, and nations, and tongues, but "in
regard to" what has been revealed to him in the little book about
the future of many peoples, and nations, and tongues.

11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the
angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the
altar, and them that worship therein.

This reed may have been one of the large canes, which grew 12 to
20 feet in length, and was sometimes used as a surveyorís rod.
Measure can refer to space, or to worth, or value. Here, it
probably refers to space. First, John was to measure the part of
the temple, naos, used by the priests, although the purpose
is not clear. Second John must measure the altar used for burnt
offerings, although the reason is also not clear. Third, John was
to measure the people who worshiped in the temple. Here, the word
measure would necessarily indicate the worth, or value, of those
worshiping. This measurement was to determine whether or not the
priests within this space were priests of God.

11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and
measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy
city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

This area was omitted because the rest of the temple area would be
given to the Gentiles. The 42 months refers to how long the
Gentiles will control all of Jerusalem.

11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they
shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed
in sackcloth.

Since the word "power" does not actually appear in the Greek
manuscript, this should be translated as "I shall give and they
shall prophesy" The angel will not give power, but he will give
the content of their prophesy. He will be in charge of these two
witnesses, and they will speak what they are told to speak. The
two prophets will be prophesying during the 42 months Jerusalem is
being trod under foot. The dark
color of the sack cloth refers to the dark nature of their
prophesies.

11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks
standing before the God of the earth.

It is not clear who these two olive trees are. Whoever they are,
they have been given a great ministry.

11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of
their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will
hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

They will not wait until someone hurts them, but will act against
anyone who even thinks about hurting them. Just to approach them
with the intent of harming them is enough to signal them to
protect themselves. Fire signifies judgment and purging. Whether
this is real fire or simply the word of God, it is destructive to
their enemies.

11:6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the
days of their prophesy: and have power over waters to turn them to
blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they
will.

Their power is great enough to stop the rain. The plagues may
represent the action (fire from the mouth) of these two witnesses
against those who oppose them. Whether literal or symbolic, they
may take action against their oppressors as often as they will.

11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the
beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war
against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

The bottomless pit symbolized people sinking into the depths of
evil. The very lowest part of the bottomless pit was considered
the home of the most evil people who died. This beast is such a
totally evil man that there is no compassion for other people in
his soul, only evil. He was the leader of the great army of
locusts, and now he brings his army against the two witnesses who
are vulnerable since their mission is finished. The beast shall
make war against them, and kill them.

11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the
great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where
also our Lord was crucified.

He does not bury the bodies, but displays them in the street of
the city. During this time, Jerusalem and its religion will be so
far from the truth that God regards them no better than he did
Sodom.

11:9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and
nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and
shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

This indicates some, perhaps most, but definitely not all people
of the earth. Out of all these different groups, some would see
the bodies. This was not just a few of the worldís nations, but
included representatives from all of them. Preventing burial was
a heinous deed; but almost as bad was the curiosity of the crowd
gathered to look at the dead, bloated bodies of the two messengers
of God.

11:10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over
them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because
these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

The entire earth will participate in the rejoicing over the death
of the two witnesses. The victors considered this a major
celebration. The people of the earth actually felt tortured
because of what the prophets said.

11:11 And after three days and an half the spirit of life from
God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great
fear fell upon them which saw them.

When the two witnesses are resurrected from the dead, the people
are stunned! The celebration is over, and rejoicing was replaced
by paralyzing fear.

11:12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them,
Come up hither. And they ascended to heaven in a cloud; and their
enemies beheld them.

These two witnesses heard a great voice from heaven, and then they
ascended in a cloud.

11:13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the
tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of
men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave
glory to the God of heaven.

When the two witnesses ascended, a great earthquake occurred which
will leveled one-tenth of Jerusalem and killed 7,000 men. The
people clearly knew that this was God at work, and they were
terrified.

11:14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh
quickly.

The second woe included the trumpet of the sixth angel which
loosed the four angels, who unleashed the army of 200 million upon
the earth. Then, the "another mighty angel" came and gave John the
little book to eat. John was also given a reed to measure several
items. Then the two olive trees, messengers of God, came and
witnessed for 42 months as Jerusalem was trodden under foot by the
Gentiles. After the two witnesses were killed, they were raised to
life and ascended to heaven. Then a huge earthquake destroyed
one-tenth of Jerusalem and killed 7,000 people.

11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices
in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the
kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for
ever and ever.

The seven angels, with the seven trumpets, were a continuation of
opening the seven seals which was the beginning of the third
vision given to John. All those left on the earth without a body
like the resurrected Jesus will now become subject to the power of
God. Nothing could be worse than having to submit themselves to
the God whom they have constantly resisted. There will be many
kingdoms on earth, with kings ruling over them, but as far as God
is concerned there will only be one kingdom: his. This marks the
end of mankindís history and their freedom under grace. From now
on, the earth will be subject to the rule of Jesus, the Christ.

Prolepsis
describing the kingdom. However, the actual coming of Jesus is
not related until verses 19:11-17.

11:16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on
their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshiped God,

When the great announcement about the kingdom of God is made, it
is no longer the four living creatures who represent nature that
lead the worship of God. When the next age occurs, the son of
The God will be manifesting God in all his glory, and the four
creatures who represent nature will not be as prominent as before.

11:17 saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which
art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee
thy great power, and hast reigned.

This formula, commonly believed to refer to Jesus, actually refers
to The God. The power which God had poured out upon all
humanity to be used for good was contained within that portion of
holy spirit given to each person. Now, that power has been taken
back unto God, and in all future time this power will be Godís.

11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the
time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou
shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the
saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and
shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

It is the season for the dead to be judged. From this time
forward whatever happens on the earth will be the result of Godís
wrath. The resistance of the people to the rule and reign of God
through his son will endure until the end of the 1,000 year reign.
Anyone who thinks that the overcomers who reign with Jesus will
just sit around and strum on their harps should read Psalm 2
carefully. The kings of this earth will not give up easily, and
the reign of Jesus will be focused on bringing them into
submission.

11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was
seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were
lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and
great hail.

Temple indicates only the holy of holies. Ark of testament means
the ark of covenant, indicating Godís presence of God, and his
faithfulness to his covenant. Lightnings, thunderings,
earthquakes, and hail indicate that God has complete control of
nature.

Prolepsis.

12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman
clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her
head a crown of twelve stars:

This woman is the New Israel, which includes both the Jews and the
Gentiles reconciled to God. The sun, moon, and stars are
ornaments for the woman. Twelve is the number of completion,
referring to everyone who is part of the New Israel.

Prolepsis: This is a reference to the New Jerusalem which has not
yet come about, and will not be described until verse 21:9.

12:2 and she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and
pained to be delivered.

She represents the nation of Israel, which struggled with evil
forces tormenting her, trying to prevent the birth of Jesus, who
would become the christ of God.

Prolepsis: John has now returned to an earlier time in the history
of Israel, the birth of Jesus.

12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a
great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven
crowns upon his heads.

The woman is Israel, and the dragon is the powers arrayed against
God and his Christ. Seven is the number for completeness. Heads
indicates oversight, direction, or the power to determine and
accomplish goals. This dragon, a figure of speech indicating menís
resistance to God, has complete control over the matter in
progress. Ten horns indicates he has the power to accomplish his
aims.

12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven,
and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the
woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as
soon as it was born.

The stars represent those who were killed for being faithful to
God. In this case, the dragon was Herod, who sought to destroy
the new-born Jesus. The dragon, Herod, intended to kill the
child.

12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all
nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God,
and to his throne.

The man child is Jesus, who will rule in the next age. He was
killed, resurrected, and ascended to God.

Prolepsis: John skipped over the complete life of Jesusóhis
preaching, teaching, crucifixion, and resurrectionóand goes
directly to his ascension.

12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a
place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand
two hundred and threescore days.

There is a similarity between the fleeing of this woman and the
fleeing of Israel from Egypt. God has never allowed Israel to be
totally destroyed, and he will not do so now. Prepared shows that
these events do not just happen, but they are planned by God. In
context, this 42 months time period covers the time from the birth
of Jesus until his return.

12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels
fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

This is still describing the situation of the woman and the
dragon, only the characters have changed. Michael and his angels
represent Israel; the dragon represents those who oppose God, and
his angels are the people who follow the leaders of the
opposition. Throughout Revelation, the dragonís enemy is Israel,
and although the characters representing Israel may vary, it is
still the dragon against Israel, or the witnesses of God on this
earth.

12:8 and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more
in heaven.

The dragon and his angels were not strong enough to win the
battle. They were utterly defeated, and cast out of heaven, which
means they no longer had any access to God.

12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent,
called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he
was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with
him.

The devil or satan or the dragon (actually the personified sins of
mankind), was done away with by the sacrifice of Jesus. There was
now nothing in heaven to accuse men before God. The only power
the accumulated sins now had was to deceive those on the earth.

12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come
salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power
of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down,
which accused them before our God day and night.

salvation, or victory, refers to the time when Jesus begins his
rule over this earth to administer the affairs of men in
conformity with the law of God. That time will be called the
kingdom of God, and the power of his christ. The sacrifice of
Jesus cleared the way so anyone could approach God. All the sins
of mankind, which had been standing between God and men, accusing
them day and night before God, were cast out.

12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the
word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the
death.

The devil was not overcome by what any man did, but by what Jesus
did. Therefore, the manner of the devilís defeat was based upon
the sacrifice of Jesus, and their testimony was to that fact, even
if it meant their death.

12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them.
Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil
is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that
he hath but a short time.

There was great rejoicing when Jesusí sacrifice erased all menís
sins (or the old dragon, or satan, or the devil) which had been
accusing them before God. Although all men now have holy
spirit, many will still suffer from the accusations and deceit of
the ďdevil,Ē and follow after the flesh, continuing to rebel
against God and ignoring the guidance of his spirit.

12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth,
he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

The dragon was surprised and shocked to discover that by
crucifying Jesus, he had sealed his own doom. After the old
dragonís defeat in heaven, he switched all his opposition to those
seeking to be obedient to God.During this age
the woman, Israel, also includes the Gentiles. Although each
person has received a portion of holy spirit, not all have come to
faith. Those who do not believe, persecute those who do.

12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle,
that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she
is nourished for a time, and times and half a time from the face
of the serpent.

God has always protected Israel from total destruction; he will
provide a place for her protection. From the face indicates that
the woman was hidden from the sight of those who sought to destroy
her. After the dragon was cast out of heaven, he was referred to
only as a puny snake, not adragon. It was now the snake,
not the dragon, pursuing the woman, Israel, as she fled into the
wilderness for a sanctuary provided by God.

12:15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood
after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the
flood.

Waters, floods, rivers, oceans, and seas are often synonyms for
people. This means that, over time, a great many people
have persecuted true believers and desired to destroy them. This
is not the desire of some old fallen angel, but the desire of
people who want to take over the earth.

12:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her
mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his
mouth.

The earth swallowed up the people who were pursuing Israel. There
was simply too much territory for the persecutors to cover. His
followers were not enough to root out all the Israelites.

12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make
war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of
God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The dragon, or the anti-christ government, in frustration, targets
Godís faithful followers and slaughters them. To keep the
commandments of God means to love God and to love mankind. To have
the testimony of Jesus Christ means to tell others that Jesus is
the christ of God, and that he will reign over this earth in Godís
own time.

13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast
rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon
his horns the crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

A grain of sand indicates individual people, and the sea
represents groups of people. This little beast rose up out of the
sea, which indicates a political power above all the other
governments on earth. It came out of the chaotic affairs of men on
this planet. Horns indicate strength, and crowns indicate the
right to rule; they both refer to political power. The seven
heads bore the ten horns both in this beast and in the first beast
(verse 12:3). Here, however, the seven heads no longer wear
crowns, but the name of blasphemy. The beast with ten crowned
horns has inherited the power structure prepared by the first
beast. The heads of the first beast have been deified and given
names which belong only to God. These were powerful men,
symbolized as beasts, which represent satan, or the devil, or the
anti-christ government, or the false christ.

13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and
his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of
a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great
authority.

The beast represents the visible manifestation of the festering
rebellion against God. The animals indicate that this beast is
powerful and quick to act, focused on its own survival. The
dragon gave his power to the second beast. Seat symbolizes the
transfer of power. The dragon, or satan, or devil, was the first
beast with seven heads, with seven crowns on its heads, and ten
horns. The second beast was similar, except the crowns were not on
the heads, but on the horns. As the first seven political units
passed away, their program of resisting God was inherited by the
succeeding ten political powers, or horns. Although the beast
will appear to be in charge, it is really the dragon, or the anti-christ
government, who delegates any power the beast may demonstrate.
The dragon, the anti-christ government, controls the beast, or ten
kingdoms, as though they were puppets.

13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death;
and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after
the beast.

Whether ďwounded to deathĒ is an actual physical death is not
clear, especially since this incident is intended to deceive
masses of people. Wonderedmeans to marvel, or stare in
awe at something. People will perceive it as a supernatural event,
just as important as the resurrection of Jesus. It is intended to
deceive people into following a false christ.

John
described some of the same events he spoke of earlier, but he
approached it from a different viewpoint
this time.
Earlier, he said the false christ would be the leader of the anti-christ
government forces. Now, he is describing a delusion foisted upon
the people by this leader.

13:4 And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the
beast: and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the
beast? who is able to make war with him?

While the people worshiped they apparently sang a song to the
dragon and the beast, just as the people in heaven sang to God and
the lamb. The word him, written in the masculine singular,
indicates that all ten of the former kings and their power are now
subject to the false christ. He gets his power from the dragon,
the anti-christ government.

13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great
things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue
forty and two months.

This person claims to be God. The 42 months at the very end of
this age, shortly before Jesus returns. This could be literal,
although it most likely refers to an indeterminate length of time.

13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to
blaspheme his name; and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in
heaven.

He will ridicule, or slander things of God, and speak great things
against God. Everything God has done and everything the name
stands for will be ridiculed and slandered. To blaspheme his
tabernacle means to speak against anything which was considered
heavenly. Them that dwell in heaven are the believers.

13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,
and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds,
and tongues, and nations.

The saints being hunted down and killed are those who remain
faithful to God. All kindred, tongues, and nations means that his
power extends to the entire world.

13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him,
whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world.

Godís grace added everyoneís name to the book, but the rebellion
of many caused their names to be erased. The phrase,"from
the foundation of the world," modifies book, not lamb, and
indicates when the book came into existence.

13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.

John was telling people to "listen up!" Since everyone has ears
and can hear, therefore none are excused for ignorance.

13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity; he
that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here
is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Followers of God could see this as a warning to not retract their
faith and join the anti-christ forces. Followers of the anti-christ
movement could see this as a warning foretelling their own fate.
Faith is belief and trust in God which enables one to be
steadfast, constant, enduring, and patient under the tremendous
trials which will surely come.

13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and
he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

This is another little
beast coming up out of the earth, which refers to all the moral
evil symbolized by this person. This beast gave the impression of
a harmless lamb, but he had a great deal of power. This is the
kind of beast, or person, needed by the anti-christ government,
and the rider of the white horse, or false christ, to promote
their cause and provide the aura of religion. This new beast
spoke as the dragon, indicating great power. He was actually
against the things of God, but this was hidden from the people
through cleverly devised subterfuge.

13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before
him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship
the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

This new beast, the false prophet, required that people worship
the beast whose deadly wound was healed (verse 13:3). The
religious system promoted by this man requires worship of the
god-state, the anti-christ government, and its false christ. With
this manís help, the anti-christ government is now recognized, and
worshiped, as the government representing God. Not only has the
government been deified, but its visible head, the false christ,
has also been deified.

13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come
down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

These wonders, or signs, will not be easily explained. They are
intended to deceive, so that people will say, "God did it." The
false prophet will have an organization of false prophets, or a
priesthood, proclaiming the false gospel to the whole earth.

13:14 and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of
those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast;
saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an
image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

Most, but not all, will be deceived, which means to mislead, to
cause one to go astray, or to become out of the way, or lost.
Miracles are something which normal people cannot explain. Power
indicates that this beast was granted permission, to do these
signs, but they were to be done in the sight of the first beast.
He told the people they were to build an image of the beast.

13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast,
that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as
many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

This image of the beast will somehow be used to separate those who
will submit and those who will not. This image could speak, and
it could cause death to those who did not worship it.

13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor,
free and bond, to receive a mark on their right hand or in the
foreheads:

The groupings here are all inclusive; no one will be excluded.
The grammar shows that people were not forced to receive this
mark, or engraving, but they were actually marking themselves!
This shows either how completely they were deceived, or how
desperately afraid they were.

13:17 and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the
mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Anyone who could not participate in the legal process of buying
and selling would possibly starve to death. This mark is
equivalent to either the name of the beast, or the number of his
name. The beast represents the anti-christ government, a
dictatorial, religious one, with a false christ as its visible
head. All pretense and deception has now been dropped. The choice
for people is simple: bow down to the statue of the beast and
receive his mark, or be killed.

13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the
number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number
is Six hundred threescore and six.

Many assume that this is the name of a person. But, the false
christ, or the first beast whose image has been made, represents a
government. This is not the number of ďaĒ man, but the number of
man (no ďaĒ on the Greek manuscript), representing the totality of
all mankind. The number of man is 6, repeating it, 66, would
emphasize it, and 666 would emphasize it even more. And, that is
what John did, indicating that man had now reached the zenith of
his rule on earth.

Verse 13:18 ends Johnís description of the terrible things he saw
which were in the little book he ate (verses 10:9-10). He again
used a prolepsis to skip ahead and describe a future event as
though it were now happening.

14:1 And I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and
with him a hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's
name written in their foreheads.

When Jesus returns, his headquarters will be at Mt. Zion, the
place of rule or judgment. Standing indicates that he was
established, firm, and unmovable. The 144,000 refers to the
overcomers who will rule and reign with Christ. Having the
Fatherís name written in their foreheads indicates the ownership
of God and the obedience of those so marked.

Jesus was described in a proleptic way in verse 14:1. That allowed
John to give a preview of the seven bowls and the seven
accompanying plagues which will occur at the beginning of the next
age. The prolepsis, which began in verse 14:1, ends with verse
16:12.

The prolepsis covers verses 14:1 through 16:12, and
includes a parenthetical insert (verses 16:13-16) in the middle,
and continues in verses 16:17-21. That this is correct is shown by
the words "that great day of God Almighty," which refers to when
Jesus returns to earth.

14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many
waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice
of harpers harping with their harps:

This was probably Godís voice, often equated with waters and
thunder. The harpers were the four beasts and 24 elders.

14:3 and they sung as it were a new song before the throne,
and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could
learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which
were redeemed from the earth.

The singers were the redeemed ones purchased by the death of
Jesus.

14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; and
they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb
whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being
the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

The meaning attached to intercourse is symbolic. Intercourse
often referred to deserting the worship and service of the one
true God. All idolatrous worship (intercourse) does defile a
man. This is also another reference to the devotion and obedience
of those who make up the group of 144,000.

14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are
without fault before the throne of God.

The remnant God has chosen have the stamp of God, which guarantees
they will no longer be harmed by anyone. They will not speak with
guile to deceive anyone; they will speak truth.

14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven,
having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on
the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and
people,

This everlasting gospel is not one of redemption and salvation,
but of Godís judgment upon all who will not commit themselves to
him in faith and obedience. ďEvery nation, and kindred, and
tongue, and people" indicates that Godís judgment will affect
everyone dwelling upon the earth.

14:7 saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to
him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that
made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Fear means to reverence, or to stand in awe of someone. Glory
means to consider God to be above all other things. Grace is now
gone, and judgment is Godís next action. Since men dwell on the
earth, which was created by God; and sail in ships upon the seas,
which were created by God; and gaze at the luminaries of the
heaven, which were created by God; and drink water from the
fountains of waters, which were created by God; then men should
worship him that made all these wonderful things and gave them to
men as a blessing?

14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is
fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations
drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

Babylon is most likely the world-wide economic system and
infra-structure of the organized resistance to God. This refers
to the destruction of this great structure built by mankind, which
had provided the supply from which all nations willingly partook.
In context, this verse indicates that Babylon had fostered
religious fornication, which brought about the wrath, or steady,
sustained anger of God.

Prolepsis.
This ties in with the destruction described in verse 17:1.

14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud
voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his
mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

God objects to even the outward act of bowing down in homage to
the beast and his image, whether or not done sincerely. As far as
God is concerned, accepting the mark means deserting him in
unbelief to pay homage to a false god.

14:10 the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his
indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in
the presence of the Holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

If anyone drinks of the cup of Babylonís wine, then it is a
certainty they shall drink of the wine of Godís wrath, which means
a raging, tempestuous, type of anger with no mercy or grace to
mellow it. Both fire and brimstone indicate purification and
cleansing. God may be in a fury, but he is still concerned about
cleansing those who oppose him.

14:11 and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and
ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast
and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Smoke indicates the result of emotional distress. There is never
any respite from this torment.

14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that
keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Here refers the previous statements about the punishment of those
who worship the beast and his image, and have received his mark.
The patience of the saints refers to the knowledge that those who
oppose God will not escape punishment, which encourages those who
suffer because of their stand for God. The saints are those who
keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write,
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea,
saith the spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their
works do follow them.

This is a beatitude to strengthen those who undergo persecution by
the anti-christ government. The persecution has become so
dreadful by this time that God pronounced a special blessing for
those who faithfully endured. Rest means to have relief from
something. Their activities, or works, or labors, for God which
were begun on earth will follow them.

14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud
one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden
crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

A white cloud indicates someone of importance to God. Only Jesus
could wear a golden diadem. The overcomers, who will also
become kings and priests, would wear a golden stephanos
(the word used here). As the next verse indicates, this person
represents all the overcomers who make up the body of christ.

14:15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a
loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and
reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of
the earth is ripe.

God is ready to harvest the crop he planted in the garden of Eden.
Adam and Eve and their progeny have finally come to fruition for
either good or bad. Mankind has ripened, and there is no need for
further delay. Start the harvest at once!

14:16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the
earth; and the earth was reaped.

This is a metaphorical way of saying that he was reaping the
population. The angel sitting on a cloud harvested the good grain
from the earth. He was separating the good grain from the tares,
as recorded in Matthew 13.

14:17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in
heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.

Why is there a need for another angel with a sharp sickle? The
answer is in the next verse.

14:18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had the
power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the
sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the
clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.

This is an avenging angel. The altar which refers to sacrifice
and spilling of blood. Fire is often a metaphor for judgment.
This angel was concerned with the tares of Matthew 13, although
here they were pictured as grapes in need of quick harvest. They
had already ripened, as had the grain, and nothing further could
be expected from them.

14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and
gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great
winepress of God.

Vine refers to the collective enemies of God The age of grace has
ceased; it is now time for judgment. The enemies of God, the anti-christ
government and its followers were ripe and at the peak of their
power. They had reached their zenith; they could go no further in
demonstrating their hatred toward God. Therefore, they were
gathered and cast into the great winepress, which refers to the
wrath of God.

14:20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and the
blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by
the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

The winepress beimg outside the city is like the law of Moses
about the disposition of the bodies of animals which were
sacrificed for sin. The description means there was a lot of
blood. This is symbolic, not to be taken literally. The distance
is not a literal distance, but indicates that all the people of
the world will be involved

15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous,
seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled
up the wrath of God.

Seven, the number of perfection, or completeness, means that this
will complete the process of Godís wrath. These seven angels have
the seven last plagues, which contain Godís wrath. When the seven
angels finish, there will be no more wrath of God.

15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire:
and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his
image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand
on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

The sea of glass indicates peace and tranquility. Fire refers to a
judgment which occurred in the past which was successfully
passed. The victors are the overcomers. Those on the sea of
glass have won the victory. They did not fall for all the
temptations offered by the world. They did not bow down and
honor the image of the beast. They did not take the mark of the
beast. were not deceived. Although mankind had apparently
reached its zenith, indicated by the number 666, the faithful
understood what was really happening.

Prolepsis. In verses 15:2-4, John leaped forward to the New
Jerusalem to give us a picture of that blessed time. John was
describing activities which will take place in the New Jerusalem.

15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and
the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works,
Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of
saints.

The song of Moses and the song of the lamb are both songs of
praise. The song of Moses, praised God as the source of all good
things; and the of the lamb, praised God for bringing about the
final disposition to the affairs of rebellious men. The term king
of saints refers to Jesus as being the christ, the head of the
body which is composed of the overcoming saints. Jesus will order
and guide the activities carried out by the saints in the next
age.

15:4 Who shall not fear thee, o Lord, and glorify thy name?
for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship
before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Applied to man, fear means dread or terror. When applied to God,
fear also means reverence or respect. Who would not glorify the
nature of God, his goodness and mercy, and his love for us? The
arrogance of all nations will not be indulged any longer; they
will come and bow down before God.

15:5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the
tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:

The templeincluded
only the holy place and the holy of holies. The tabernacle of the
testimony was the ark of the covenant.

15:6 and the seven angels came out of the temple, having the
seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their
breasts girded with golden girdles.

These angels were acting as priests, because only priests were
allowed into the two holy places of the temple. Pure and white
linen represents the righteousness of the saints. Gold signifies
royalty, and the girdles show that those wearing them are there to
do service unto God.

15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels
seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever
and ever.

The seven angels were previously given the seven plagues, and now
they also have seven golden vials which contain the wrath of God.

15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of
God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the
temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

Smoke indicates both the anger of God and the presence of God.
One glory of God is his power of judgment, and this glory will be
demonstrated in the acts of judgment to follow, as well as the
power he will delegate to bring it about. Absolutely no one will
now be able to enter the temple, which means no intercession will
be allowed when God brings this judgment. Since Jesus is still a
man, even he will not be allowed into the temple while this
judgment is continuing. Seven plagues indicates fulfillment, and
this has been accomplished there will be no more.

It
is now clear that verses 6:15-17 contain a proleptic statement
which fits in here. When these seven plagues begin, then the
kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, and everyone else
will hide and cry for the mountains and rocks to fall on them to
hide them from the wrath of God.

16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the
seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of
God upon the earth.

The seven angels were to start going immediately and continue
going, each on their separate way. The wrath of God being poured
out upon the earth is not one of the plagues. Although the plagues
and the wrath appear to occur simultaneously, they are still two
separate things. Perhaps the wrath of God in the vials activated
the plagues or intensified the plagues.

16:2 And the first went and poured out his vial upon the
earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men
which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshiped his
image.

Noisome means a trying event, and grievous means something that
causes pain and trouble. These were terrible, ulcerating sores
which brought pain and trouble to the people of earth. Even those
who simply bowed down to the image of the beast suffered the same
punishment as did those who received the mark of the beast.

16:3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea;
and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul
died in the sea.

This sea represents all the people of earth. Water turning to
blood symbolizes judgment and warfare, so all the seas turning to
blood would indicate the worldwide bloodshed which will occur as
the judgment of God begins.

16:4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers
and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

The rivers were smaller groups of people. Fountains of waters
were the tiny settlements of people.All peoples of the earth will be affected by this judgment.

16:5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art
righteous, o Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou
hast judged thus.

The righteousness of God refers to his faithfulness in keeping the
covenant relationship and his promises. Righteousness concerned
whether or not Godís actions promote his promise to bring this age
to an end with the return of the messiah and the rule of God on
this earth.

16:6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and
thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

This includes all the saints and prophets who were killed, whether
in the Old or New Testament. The present inhabitants of the world
at the time of this judgment were not guilty of killing all the
saints, nor all the prophets. But, God chose them to bear the
final penalty of the conglomerate sins committed by all those who
preceded them. Giving them blood to drink means they were given
the same treatment as the saints and prophets which they had
killed.

Keep in mind that Jesus returned to earth before the wrath of God
was poured out. This was described in a proleptic way in verse
14:1. That allowed John to give a preview of the seven bowls and
the seven accompanying plagues which will occur at the beginning
of the next age.

16:7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord
God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

Almighty is a combination
of pantos, all, and kratos, which is the power only
God wields.

16:8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun;
and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

These people had followed the anti-christ government and believed
in the false christ and his promises. When Jesus returned, the
light of God which he and his saints reflected scorched, or
burned, them. The plague here was not the sun, but the scorching.
Fire, judgment, is the element which brings about the scorching,
not the sun.

16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the
name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they
repented not to give him glory.

This is a further explanation of the time described earlier when
men wanted the mountains and the rocks to fall on them to hide
them from the face of Godís son. Those who blaspheme the name of
God will incur the scorching as a judgment. To them, God will be
a consuming fire, signifying the extreme judgment they will
undergo. That they repented not indicates that they did not
change their mind about God.

16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of
the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed
their tongues for pain,

The seat indicates the throne or location of the beastís power.
Darkness denotes ignorance, or walking in a manner opposite to the
will of God. Pain means distresses, or very trying
circumstances. It was the pain which caused the gnawing, and it
was the darkness which caused the pain, or distress. It was
because they found themselves in the spiritual darkness revealed
by Jesus, the Christ, and his saints.

All the judgments of God are a result of the coming of Jesus, the
Christ, and they occur simultaneously, not sequentially.

16:11 and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains
and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

Their deeds were wrong because they followed the false christ.
They will not accept the blame for their own actions which bring
on their distresses, or pains. Instead they blamed God for their
situation. God was revealing their true condition to them, but
they were not listening.

This refers back to the first plague. By its use here, John
indicated the continuation of these plagues. This also supports
the argument that the plagues occur simultaneously, not in the
chronological order in which they were listed.

16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great
river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way
of the kings of the east might be prepared.

The Euphrates was a wide river, about 1700 miles long, which
formed the eastern boundary of the land that God had promised
Abraham and his descendants. The kings of the east are not coming
to make war, but to pay obeisance to Jesus and his resurrected
saints who rule over the Gentiles. The Euphrates being dried up
means that there was no longer any need for a safe boundary, since
the lord was the protection.

Prolepsis. This may be confusing. Verse 14:1 apparently indicated
that Jesus returned to earth before the wrath of God was poured
out of the bowls. However, the text between verses 14:1 and 16:12
is a prolepsis. John could not wait any longer to tell about
future events. Hence, he wrote as though these future events were
already occurring even though that was not the actual case. The
prolepsis, which began in verse 14:1, ends with verse 16:12.

16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the
mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of
the mouth of the false prophet.

The unclean
spirits were the messages spoken by either the dragon, the beast
(false christ), or the false prophet. The anti-christ government,
or satan, had transformed itself into an insidious false religion.
God warned that if the very elect are not watchful, they, too,
would be fooled into following the false christ, and the false
prophet.

John inserted a parenthetical insert (verses 16:13-16) in the
middle of the prolepsis begun in verse 14:1. John returns to
that prolepsis in verse 16:17.

16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles,
which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world,
to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Devil means divider, and
the purpose of the anti-christ government is to divide people from
God. These three, themselves, do not go forth, but their signs,
miracles, go forth.These signs
go forth to even the most remote parts inhabited by people. The
anti-christ government, or the dragon, the false christ, and the
false prophet were preparing for the battle against God.

This gathering took place prior to the coming of Jesus, indicated
by the fact that the anti-christ government, or the dragon, the
false christ, and the false prophet were described as preparing
for that great day of the lord, which had not yet occurred.John must have deserted his prolepsis to describe this.

16:15 Behold, I come as a thief, Blessed is he that watcheth,
and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his
shame.

Jesus only comes
as a thief upon those who are not watchful, not upon those who are
awake and awaiting his coming. This blessed is for the constant,
vigilant, hopeful watcher. Keepeth his garments was a comparison
to temple soldiers who were found sleeping. Their garments were
burned and they were left naked. This comparison refers to the
spiritual condition of those not found watching when Jesus
returns.

16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the
Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

He is the dragon, or the devil, since the false christ and the
false prophet were cast into the lake of fire. This jumps ahead
to when satan is loosed from the pit at the end of the 1,000 years
(a prolepsis). Armageddon is an ďindefinable proper name of an
imaginary place,Ē and refers to when God finally destroys all
rebellion.

Verse 16:16 does not refer to the first gathering accomplished by
the three in verses 16:13-14, but to the gathering done after
satan was let out of the bottomless pit. Therefore, this refers to
the battle of Armageddon, which occurs at the end of the kingdom
age.

16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air;
and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the
throne, saying, It is done.

Godís wrath has been poured out upon the air, considered the home
of demons, and the air has been cleansed of all evil influence.
The plagues are over, but their effects will continue.

A
prolepsis covers verses 14:1 through 16:12, includes a
parenthetical insert (verses 16:13-16) in the middle, and
continues in verses 16:17-21. That this is correct is shown by the
words "that great day of God Almighty," which refers to when Jesus
returns to earth.

Verse 16:17 returns to the prolepsis begun in 14:1, which was the
same formula as in the six previous judgments. Each of the angels
poured out his vial of the wrath of God which was then followed by
whatever plague, or judgment, God had designed for each angel to
dispense.

16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and
there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon
the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

This was not a
literal earthquake, but a shaking to bring down the anti-christ
government. This is a worldwide shaking which involves the entire
anti-christ government and all the governments of the world which
capitulated to it.

16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the
cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance
before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness
of his wrath.

Dividing the great city, Babylon, into three parts is the first
sign of weakness, in the great anti-christ government. These
plagues, or judgments, have caused such a shake-up that the once
solid anti-christ government is beginning to fall apart. And the
insurrection spread to all parts of the world once governed by the
anti-christ government.

16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not
found.

Mountains meant the large
anti-christ government, and islands designated all other
subordinate governments of the world.

16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every
stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because
of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding
great.

A talent weighed 60-120 pounds. The hail fell only upon men,
which makes it a very unusual hailstorm. This hail symbolizes
Godís terrible judgment, or pounding, upon the false religion and
the anti-christ government. The reaction to the hail was the same
as with the previous plagues. Instead of repenting, which was
Godís desire, they blasphemed.

17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the
seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I
will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth
upon many waters:

This destruction was foretold earlier by a prolepsis in verse
14:8. John was fully enlightened when he ate the little book. At
that time, he saw everything that will happen to the earth and its
inhabitants, although in later verses it sounds as though he were
only then being enlightened by one of the angels. John was shown
the sentence (judgment) which God had pronounced upon the great
whore. Sitting upon many waters means that this whore, or city,
was master of many people.

This destruction was foretold earlier by a prolepsis in verse
14:8. Here John caught up with his former proleptic verse. Please
do not forget, John was fully enlightened when he ate the little
book. At that time, he saw everything that will happen to the
earth and its inhabitants, although in later verses it sounds as
though he were only then being enlightened by one of the angels.
Although John had previously read of this judgment, he will now
see it in a vision.

17:2 with whom the kings of the earth have committed
fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk
with the wine of her fornication.

The great whore (Babylon) supplied the means for the nations to
commit fornication with her. Although kings have been substituted
for nations (14:8), the meaning remains the same since kings rule
nations. Fornication was often used by the prophets to indicate
nations, or people, who had turned their backs upon God to worship
other gods. All the kings of the earth participated in this
spiritual fornication. The inhabitants of the earth were not
resisting, but willingly accepted the wine of her fornication.

Verse 17:2 is similar to verse 14:8.

17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness:
and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names
of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

Wilderness means desert. Sit means she was
controlling and guiding the beast. This beast the woman is riding
is the false christ, or the religious arm of the anti-christ
government (the dragon is the political side of the anti-christ
government). The beast was continually claiming the names, or
characteristics, of God as its own.

From this point, John drew extensively on Jeremiah, and some of
Isaiah, to describe the destruction of Babylon at the end of this
age. These heads and horns are the same terminology as verses
12:3 and 13:1. In verse 12:3, it was a sign seen in heaven. In
verse 13:1, it rose up out of the sea, or the people.

17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,
and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a
golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her
fornication:

The woman was both wealthy and regal, since purple signifies
royalty, and scarlet indicates great wealth. A gold cup with gem
stones was expensive. Abominations means something that stinks,
normally referring to immorality or ceremonial uncleanness.
Filthiness means something unclean, or impure. Her cup was full
of something greatly desired by those under her control.

17:5 and upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY,
BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE
EARTH.

Mystery means the interpretation will be mystical, one that would
not be immediately clear to the casual reader. The Babylon of
Jeremiahís day was the trade center of the known world and was the
richest metropolis of its day. Rome, in Johnís day, was the trade
center of the known world and also its richest metropolis. This
great metropolis of the last days, rich and evil, spiritually
called Babylon, spawned all the evils of the earth.Harlots and abominations refer to false, idol worshiping,
heathen religions. The entire earth is infected with the religion
of the anti-christ government.

17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints,
and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I
wondered with great admiration.

Drunk means being constantly
drunk. The Jewish people, the saints, were anti-christ enough to
join the religious anti-christ government and help persecute true
believers, the martyrs of Jesus. However, they, too, received a
death sentence after the anti-christ government gained sufficient
power that it could turn on them. Thus, the woman was drunk on
their blood as well as the blood of believers. Even John marveled
and admired the woman.

17:7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel?
I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that
carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

The angel chastised John for marveling at the woman with great
wealth and power. The angel was showing John the dissolution of
the anti-christ government which began with the seven plagues, or
judgments of God.

The dissolution began with the seven plagues described in Vision
Five. Verse 16:19 revealed the first break in the solid front
presented by the anti-christ government.

17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall
ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they
that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written
in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they
behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

This beast which John had been seeing, the great dragon, the anti-christ
government, now absolutely is not because it had disappeared into
the bottomless pit. The beast was composed of those who joined
together in rebellion against God and his christ. Perdition
indicates the final end of the old dragon, in the lake of fire and
brimstone. The ones who wonder are those whose names were
blotted out of the book.

The angel, like John, used a prolepsis. The answer requires
looking ahead to verses 20:1-3, where it says that an angel
chained the dragon and cast him into the bottomless pit, which is
where the old dragon spends most of the l,000 year reign. The
last part of verse 17:8 about the book of life is another
prolepsis, as the angel skips to the end of the next age.

17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads
are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

The seven heads and seven mountains are political entities, not
actual mountains. This indicates the power which provides the
foundation for the anti-christ government. The seven heads
symbolize the complete strength and wisdom of those leading this
government. The seven mountains represent strong governmental
entities. The seven heads of the seven mountains, or governments,
support the wealth of this great woman, Babylon, a great trade
center and metropolis which will arise at the end of this age.

17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is,
and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must
continue a short space.

The five fallen, killed kings was the result of in-fighting among
the three political units that came into existence at the shaking
by God. The "one is" defeated the other five kings. The power of
the "other not yet come" will last for only a short time.

17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth,
and goeth into perdition.

This beast is the "other not yet come" of verse 17:10. This beast
could be the ďone who is notĒ because he was in the bottomless pit
and could no longer be considered as a viable force opposing God.
But when he is released at the end of the l,000 year reign, then
he is the eighth. Perdition indicates the final end of the old
dragon, in the lake of fire and brimstone.

Back in verse 17:8, a beast was defeated by the forces of Jesus
Christ and his saints, and was shut up in the bottomless pit for
the duration of the thousand years. This is the same beast.

17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which
have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one
hour with the beast.

These ten kings, represented by the ten horns which symbolize
power, have been quietly waiting for the proper time. They are an
outgrowth of the seven heads of the beast, and they receive
authority from the beast who is in charge of what these ten king
do. One hour means their power as kings will last for only a
short time.

17:13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and
strength unto the beast.

Mind means purpose, judgment or will. They knew what they were
told to do and they did it with one mind, or one common purpose.
The beast gave the ten kings authority, and in return they gave
the beast loyalty and power.

17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall
overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and
they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

These ten kings shall make war with the lamb, or Jesus. There
will be a war, and the lamb will win. The saints that "are
called" make up the army of Jesus Christ. The call, which went to
all humanity, was the pouring out of holy spirit upon all flesh
which equipped each person with everything needed to retain the
inheritance provided through the death of Jesus. The chosen are
the overcomers, chosen because they committed themselves to God
and remained faithful. They have not wasted that great gift of
graceóthe salvationófreely bestowed on them.

Skipping back and forth, as far as time is concerned, creates much
of the difficulty in understanding Revelation. For instance, in
verse 14:1, Jesus had already returned. Yet, here in verse 17:14,
the angel reverts to a previous time by stating that the time when
the ten kings shall make war with the lamb is yet in the future.

17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where
the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and
tongues.

Water included the entire population of the world. No one was
exempt from this woman sitting on the waters; she controlled
everyone. In verse 17:3, the woman was sitting upon the beast,
signifying that she guided the affairs of the dragon, or satan. In
verse 17:9, the woman was sitting upon seven mountains, indicating
that she controlled the governments from which the dragon got his
power.

17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these
shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and
shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

This insurrection of the ten kings follows the shaking of Babylon,
the great city, into three political units. The whore, Babylon,
will be destroyed in bits and pieces, and burned completely to the
ground. Nothing will be left!

Verse 17:16 refers back to verse 17:3.

17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and
to agree and give their kingdoms unto the beast, until the words
of God shall be fulfilled.

They conquered the great whore, that great metropolis, the center
of idolatry and commerce. God put in it in their minds, and they
did it.

To
understand the chronological order of events in Revelation, it is
vital to discern Johnís use of the prolepsis.The destruction of the whore, or Babylon, takes place after
the coming of Jesus, even though it is related later in the text.
This places the destruction of the great city of the latter days
immediately after the coming of Jesus.

17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which
reigneth over the kings of the earth.

The woman is Babylon, the whore, the governmental center of the
great anti-christ movement. From her went the orders to the kings
of the consortium which has controlled and persecuted the
population of the entire world, and caused most of them to worship
false gods.

18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from
heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his
glory.

This "another angel," with great power and authority, had glory
such that by reason of that glory, all the peoples of the earth
are enlightened about God. Jesus was the only one called to
manifest God in the flesh. What angel would there be that could do
the same to the whole world? This "another angel" is Jesus,
except that now he is in a glorified body.

18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying,
Babylon the great is fallen, and is become the habitation of
devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every
unclean and hateful bird.

This describes the condition of a city wasted by war, or
destruction. This will be the condition of Babylon, that great
idolatrous center at the end of the history of mankind.

18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of
her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed
fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed
rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

The fornication in the cup which brings forth the wrath of God is
one common to most of the world todayóit is the love of money,
which the Bible says is the root of all evil. The Babylon of the
latter days will be the commercial center of the world, as well as
the governmental center. Any kingdom or merchant which wishes to
prosper will cater to her. At the coming of Jesus, this economic
power structure is being dismantled, which is why the angel said
that "Babylon is fallen, is fallen."

18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out
of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that
ye receive not of her plagues.

"Come out of her" was not a request, but an imperative, or
command. "My people" are commanded to leave, but not required to
leave. However, if they continue to fellowship in the sins
brought about by the love of money, then they will also receive
her plagues.

18:5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath
remembered her iniquities.

Sins means missing
the mark, the kingdom of God. Even as her sins followed her as
far as the heaven, so will the sins of those who partake with
her. This is a warning that peopleís evil deeds , as well as
their good deeds, will follow them.

18:6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her
double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled
fill to her double.

The stench of mankindís rebellion even reached into heaven and God
is finally arranging for the saints to repay Babylon, the anti-christ
government, according to her works. They were to pay her back
double.

18:7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived
deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in
her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no
sorrow.

The torment and sorrow were part of the double repayment. The
word "sit" means that she believes she is solidly established in
an unmovable manner. Babylon believed that her domain would exist
forever.

Verse 18:7 refers back to the cup full of abominations which the
whore held in her hand (verse 17:4).

18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and
mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire:
for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

Her plagues are not the same plagues of the seven angels listed
earlier. The plagues hereódeath, mourning, and famineówill be the
result of the insurrection by the ten kings. Utterly burned means
this will be a complete destruction of the city. Babylon chose
poorly in ignoring Godís strength.

While Chapter 17 provided a birdís eye view of Babylonís fall,
John was now being shown the details.

18:9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed
fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and
lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

The kings are those who have been vassals, willingly or
unwillingly, of the dragon, false christ, and false prophet. They
profited from their association with the whore, and lived in
luxury. They are in agony over what they have lost.

18:10 standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying,
Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one
hour is thy judgment come.

Standing there crying alas, alas, will not help Babylon at all.
One hour indicates a short time period.

18:11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over
her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

The merchants are also weeping and mourning because no one will
buy their merchandise. They are left holding the bag, so to
speak.

18:12 the merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones,
and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet,
and all thyine wood, and all manner of vessels of ivory, and all
manner of vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron,
and marble,

All of the things listed would be for the wealthy, indicating
their excesses and their insatiable appetite to amass luxurious
items demonstrating their power and importance.

18:13 and cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense,
and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and
sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

These things were not so much for displaying wealth, but more for
personal use, again by the wealthy. People were regarded as
nothing more than chattel to be sold and used the same as
livestock.

18:14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly
are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

They no longer had the ability to purchase desirable and luxurious
items. The economy of Babylon, along with the city itself, had
been destroyed.

18:15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by
her, shall stand afar off for fear of her torment, weeping and
wailing,

The merchantís once valuable merchandise was now worthless.
Notice that only Babylon, the economic system, will be destroyed,
not the merchants personally. Godís purpose in the return of the
messiah is not to destroy people, but to destroy their systems.

18:16 and saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed
in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and
precious stones, and pearls!

This verse is a funeral dirge for an economic system that no
longer exists. These things will no longer have any commercial
value in the kingdom of God. Godís judgment will destroy that
system, burn it to the ground.

The description of Babylon is nearly identical with the
description of the woman, the whore, riding on the back of the
beast, or the anti-christ government (17:4).

18:17 for in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And
every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and
as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

One hour means a short time period. "And as many as trade by sea"
was an ancient way of describing those whose work and livelihood
was derived from the sea. In the vernacular of sea-going people,
sailors were "those who work the sea," which was different from
the merchants who "trade by sea."

18:18 and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying,
What city is like unto this great city!

Babylon of the last days had no peers; she stood alone in her
magnificence and wealth. And now she was gone for good!

18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and
wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made
rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness!
for in one hour is she made desolate.

For all practical purposes, this brings Godís great judgment to a
close. The process of destruction, or judgment, was begun when
Jesus returned upon Zion and brought the seven plagues of the
seven vials of Godís wrath. That wrath was poured out upon what
was primarily a false religion of pursuing and worshiping wealth.
The great anti-christ government and its army were decimated by
rebellion in its ranks brought about by Godís judgment. This all
happened in a short amount of time.

18:20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and
prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

This is another
viewpoint of the same destruction. The people of God had
experienced travail, trouble, persecution, and execution. Those
who had suffered now rejoiced at the destruction of what had
caused their suffering. God had long promised that the persecution
and martyrdom of the saints would be avenged, and he has been true
to his word.

Prolepsis. The details of Babylonís destruction which John
described will come to pass in the future. At times, it was
written as though it had already happened.

18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a r=great
millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence
shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found
no more at all.

Millstone indicates
how great this event will be that overtakes Babylon. The sea
represents many people. Casting with great violence indicates
great force and finality. This is the final blow to the Babylon
of menís rebellion against God.

Verse 18:21 is another prolepsis, written in the prophetic tense;
therefore, it will come to pass as stated.

18:22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers,
and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no
craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in
thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all
in thee;

This verse contains three categories of what many consider
necessities for a satisfactory life, or part of the good life:
music, goods, and food. They are all gone.

18:23 and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in
thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be
heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men
of earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

It all began with a whimper, with Adam and Eve. Over the millennia
it became a crescendo as almost everyone became enthralled with
the pursuit of wealth. Now it has all ended; no one is pursuing
wealth. None of the things necessary for a comfortable lifestyle
will be available. There will be no more happy times, only hard
times and woe. Sorceries, the use of drugs and sex, along with
the love of money, had deceived all nations.

18:24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints,
and of all that were slain upon the earth.

The prophets and saints were slain because they were "in the
world, but not of the world." They stood for God and opposed the
anti-christ dragon, which caused their persecution and death.
This verse ends the history of manís rebellion.

19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much
people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and
honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:

The scenario shifts to relate Godís final plans for the mankind he
created. "After these things" means after the destruction
of Babylon, and the rejoicing that had begun in heaven. Much
people means a multitude. All the salvation, all the glory, all
the honor, and all the power belong to God. One of the primary
purposes for worshiping God is to recognize his omnipotence and
providence of every good and proper thing.

19:2 for true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath
judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her
fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her
hand.

True means no error,
and whatever it modifies is considered to be perfect. Righteous
means to be rightly divided. What Babylon received was exactly
the judgment she deserved. Godís judgment was taken out of
Babylon. Just as the blood of his servants was taken out of them,
in exactly the same way, the life-blood of Babylon, her economic
system, was bled out of her. When the economic system of Babylon
was destroyed, the monetary supply which had supported the
antichrist government was also gone.

19:3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for
ever and ever.

Smoke indicates that
Babylonís destruction was complete. Forever and ever means that
her smoke will never cease, or her destruction is without end.

19:4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell
down and worshiped God that sat on the throne, saying Amen;
Alleluia.

By saying amen, they indicated their agreement with what the
multitude in heaven had just said, and they accepted it as truth.

19:5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our
God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and
great.

From the context, it is not the voice of God. Fear means to
reverence and respect someone in authority. Both small and greatmeans that after the resurrection there will be no distinction
in the reputation or status of people, regardless of what they may
have been in their soulish lives on earth.

19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude,
and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty
thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent
reigneth.

This emphasize
the magnitude of the sound of the multitude. Alleluia means
praise God. These resurrected saints, with their glorified
bodies, were praising God for what he had done. Omnipotent means
that God is all-power. God is the original source of the power to
reign, but he has deferred to his son during the next age.

19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for
the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself
ready.

This means to rejoice exuberantly. God is the king, Jesus is the
son, and the bride is the kingdom. The bride was to prepare
herself for the betrothal ceremony. An Eastern marriage had three
different components: the betrothal, or espousal, ceremony; a
great feast of rejoicing; the betrothal consummation.

19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine
linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of
saints.

The bride had received a gift from the bridegroom in which she was
to be dressed for the betrothal ceremony. The bride, or the
saints, were expected to do righteous deeds, represented by the
fine, white linen. In other words, the bride, the saints, the
kingdom of God, must commit themselves to obey God and follow the
portion of holy spirit which God has given them as a guide. This
is the part the bride must play in making herself ready.

The parable in Matthew 22 has jumped ahead of Johnís comments so
far in Revelation.

19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are
called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto
me, These are the true sayings of God.

This is the fourth beatitude, which separated the betrothal from
the feast. Being called, or invited, to the marriage was a great
privilege. Like the king of the parable in Matthew, God went into
the highways and byways of the earth and invited everyone to the
marriage supper. God gave some of his holy spirit to every
person, which enabled them to enter the kingdom of God if their
lives were lived in commitment to him. Therefore, all those who
were called were "blessed," or greatly privileged by this
invitation.

19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto
me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy
brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

The kingdom of God had begun! Every true Israelite would be
overjoyed at this news, and John was no exception! The angel
recognized John's attitude and the error involved, and stopped him
from making the error of worshiping him instead of God. The
testimony of Jesus was not given so Jesus would be worshiped, but
so all worship would be directed to The God.

Verse 19:10 is a parenthetical insert.

19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he
that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in
righteousness he doth judge and make war.

The first white horse (6:2) held the false christ. This rider was
not an imposter, but the authentic Christ. Faithful and true
means there is no falsehood, or deceit, associated with him. The
judging will be according to Godís righteousness, or faithfulness
to his covenant, and it will be done fairly and impartially. When
Jesus, the Christ, makes war, it will be a different type of war
than that of the false Christ.

19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were
many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he
himself.

Flame of fire indicates that his eyes see all that is necessary to
judge fairly. Fire refers to the cleansing power of judgment.
When Jesus, the Christ, returns to earth, he will rule over all
nations, indicated by the many crowns on his head. Men will not
know this name until the kingdom of God is established.

19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his
name is called The Word of God.

This refers to the blood of his enemies whom he has overcome.
However, the battle will not be a physical one, but a spiritual
one. Jehovah was the word of God in the OT, and Jesus is Jehovah
in the flesh.

19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon
white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

Riding white horses means that those who follow Jesus will be
associated with his royalty. This army is made up of the
overcomer saints, and their white, clean garments signify
righteousness.

Verse 19:14 is another parenthetical insert.

19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword that with it he
should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of
iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of
Almighty God.

The sword, the word of God, goes out of the mouth of Jesus in a
continuous flow, which means that the word of God will always
affect the affairs of men under the direction of his son. Rule
means to shepherd, which takes some of the harshness out. He will
shepherd the Gentiles, or nations. The fierceness and wrath of
God will not be expressed in killing people, but by instructing
them through the reign of Jesus and the overcomers. This will be
an inflexible reign, which requires obedience to the ďswordĒ going
forth out of his mouth.

19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name
written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

The writing was on his vesture, or outer garment. This name
emphasizes his royalty.

19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with
a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of
heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the
great God;

Standing in the sun means he was highly visible to all the birds.
His voice was like the high pitched scream emitted by birds of
prey. This invitation was to the scavenger birds, those who eat
the flesh of dead animals and humans. These birds were the
guests invited to the great supper of God. Remember, God was the
king, Jesus was the son, who is marrying the bride, the kingdom.

19:18 that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of
captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses,
and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free
and bond, both small and great.

This describes the aftermath of a great battle. The meal, the
wedding feast, included every level of mankind, as well as the
animals usually killed in battle. The word pictures, however,
represent a spiritual battle, not a physical one, although it was
described in physical terms

19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their
armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the
horse, and against his army.

This describes how the battle came about in which the beast, the
kings and their armies were defeated (the vultures were invited to
the supper of the great God). This sounds absolutely horrible,
but the purpose of this judgment is not to physically destroy the
opposition, but to bring them into union with God.

Beginning with verse 14:1, John wrote of Jesusí return to this
earth on Mt Sion. But do not take all this literally because,
beginning with Chapter 19, John gave another version of the return
which was additional but still complementary. Chapter 19 provides
a more detailed version of the defeat of the beast, the kings of
the earth, and their armies.

19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet
that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that
had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his
image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning
with brimstone.

The beast is the false christ. The armies that were defeated were
the armies of the ten kings which God had used to destroy Babylon
and its economic system. They were defeated by the word of God,
the two-edged sword from the lambís mouth. Like the defeat brought
about by the seven plagues, this was a spiritual victory. It
brought death to the aspirations of all those who would set up
their own rule and reign over the earth without the consent of
God.

Large bodies of waters, such as seas and lakes, are often
metaphors for large masses of people. The lake is the multitude of
overcomers. Fire refers to the judgment which will befall those
who are deceived by the anti-christ government. The judgment is
that they will be cast into the lake of overcomers where there
will be no provision for carnal desires.

Brimstone, or sulphur, was used as a fumigant to cleanse the house
after an illness. The purpose of the brimstone in the lake of fire
and brimstone is to cleanse those who need cleansing. The false
christ, the false prophet, and those they deceived (who receive
the mark of the beast and bow down to its image and worship it)
will all be cast into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.

This provides the answer to verse 14:10 which stated that those
cast into the lake of fire and brimstone would be tormented in the
presence of the saints. The saints are the lake! Those who desire
carnal enjoyment will find no solace for their desires. This will
be their torment.

19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat
upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all
the fowls were filled with their flesh.

The remnant refers to those followers of the false christ and the
false prophet. They lost the spiritual battle waged against them.
Their belief in the false christ and the false prophet crumbled
under the onslaught of Jesus, the Christ, and his followers. The
fowls feasting on their flesh refers to their utter defeat.

20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key
of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

The key symbolizes the authority over some place which that key
will open and close; in this case, the bottomless pit of deep
darkness, a place of dread. The great chain signifies the amount
of power required to capture the one whom the angel was to take
into custody.

20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which
is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

The angel with the key and the chain was after the dragon, that
old serpent, the devil, satan. Binding the devil, or satan, or
the old Adamic nature, means that during the kingdom age,
practiced sin will not be allowed.

20:3 and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up,
and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no
more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that
he must be loosed a little season.

The bottomless pit symbolizes the fact that mankindís rebellion
against God will no longer be permitted; it will be shut up. Even
if they want to, people will not be allowed the liberty of
practicing sin during the next age. It is impossible to say for
sure if the 1,000-year reign will actually be 1,000 years as we
count time. But one thing is for sure: no matter how long the next
age lasts, satan will be released at the end of the next age.
This means that the rule with a rod of iron will be relaxed for a
short time. The purpose for relaxing the rule will be a test to
discover whether living under the rule of iron has changed menís
hearts.

This sixth vision
shows Godís destination for mankind during the next age. One
point needs to be clarified about exactly who it is that Jesus and
his saints will rule over.

At the
resurrection, when the bodies come out of the grave, Jesus will
divide the people on the basis of whether they have done good or
evil (often called the judgment seat of Christ). If they have
done evil, their spirit will be reunited with a body which is
again subject to death. If they have done good, they will receive
a glorified body like that of the resurrected Jesus, which will
enable them to enter into the kingdom of God in a place of
blessing.

What about those who do not receive a body capable of rising to
meet Jesus in the air? Those are the ones who will be resurrected
to a judgment of guilt, and they will again live in a corruptible
body. Therefore, when Jesus returns on Mt. Zion to oversee Godís
judgment of the seven plagues, it will be upon all those who had
ever existed on this earth, whose works were judged to be evil.
The kings will gather them all together to battle against Jesus
and his company of glorified saints.

20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment
was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were
beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and
which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had
received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and
they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

The overcomer saints sat upon the thrones. The saints will be
judging matters of conduct, disputes, and other judicial matters
which will be settled according to the law of God. The souls, or
people, were those who had been persecuted and killed for
remaining faithful to God. They became the overcomer saints who
rule and reign with Jesus.

To
determine who he saw, refer back to a previous prolepsis in verses
15:1-4. Johnís comments here complemented verses 15:1-4, just as
most of Chapter 19 was complementary to verse 14:1.

20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the
thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

When Jesus returns to earth, all people will be resurrected and
divided into two groups, those who have done good and those who
have done evil. The good group is resurrected unto life, the evil
group is resurrected to judgment. Those who have done good will
receive a glorified body like Jesus. Those who have done evil will
receive a soulish body, not a spiritual one. Therefore, although
they are resurrected, they live not, zoe (have a body
fitted for the spirit), until the 1,000 years are finished. They
will be in outer darkness being ministered to, rather than
ministering. First resurrection is written in the Greek emphatic
and does not necessarily mean the first of a series, but more
likely the most important resurrection.

20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first
resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they
shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a
thousand years.

This is the fifth beatitude, and like the other four, it is used
to divide one thought from another. The second death (which will
be revealed later) has no power on the overcomers. It does not say
they will not be present in the same location as the second death,
but only that they will not be affected by it. The priestís role
was to reveal the will of God to the people, which is what the
overcomers will do as they rule and reign with Jesus.

The beatitude of verse 20:6 divided Johnís comments on what occurs
at the beginning of the 1,000 year reign from what happens at the
end. The context of verses 20:6-7 actually spans the entire next
age.

20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be
loosed out of his prison,

Jesus and his saints will stop ruling with a rod of iron. Satan,
or the rebellious nature of men, will be released from prison. The
old Adamic nature will again be free to choose whether to serve
God or to rebel against him.

20:8 and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the
four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together
to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Rebellious men will form another anti-God movement, which will
deceive many. Four quarters of the earth means the entire earth.
Gog and Magog represent all the nations of the earth who turned
against the rule of Jesus. There were so many people against God
that John said the number of them was as the sand of the sea.

20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and
compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and
fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

The rebels come from the entire earth. The camp most likely
refers to the promised land, the headquarters of Jesus and his
saints. Fire from God refers to righteous judgment. The fire
devoured them, or defeated them. But, here again, this was a
spiritual battle, not a physical one.

20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of
fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and
shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The devil, the perverse nature of natural man, finally joins the
false christ and the false prophet in the lake of fire and
brimstone, which is the saints. They will be tormented into the
ages of ages.

20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it,
from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was
found no place for them.

Those who were resurrected in a soulish body will face this
judgment. White signifies the absolute purity of the judgment.
This great white throne judgment is the final judgment, and closes
the book on the history of mankind. That the earth and heavens
fled is a way of expressing the glory, grandeur, and majesty of a
God who is completely beyond manís comprehension.

20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and
the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the
book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which
were written in the books according to their works.

These are the spiritually dead. The "open books"
indicate that this judgment is just, and without error. The book
of life contained the names of the overcomers, those who remained
faithful to God. The books will reveal a personís true condition,
whether or not their works were based on faith and love of God.
Only those works which men allow God to do through them by holy
spirit will be counted as righteous deeds

20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death
and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were
judged every man according to their works.

This describes the different places from where the dead came. The
death means the state of being either physically or spiritually
dead. The hell, or the grave, is the abode of the dead.
Regardless of where they came from, they were judged according to
their works.

20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This
is the second death.

Death and hell, both caused by man, is not to be taken literally;
this simply means that both have come to an end. After this,
there will be no need of death and, therefore, no need of an
earthly grave. Whenever those who have opposed God are cast into
the second death it is the end of the road for all their
aspirations. The lake of fire, the second death, now becomes the
abode of the wicked dead.

20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life
was cast into the lake of fire.

This verse is a further disclosure, but from a different point of
view, about the ones mentioned in verse 20:12. Godís judgment
would certain for all those who opposed him.

21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first
heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more
sea.

New,kainos,
refers to quality. The new heavens and new earth is simply an
earth and heaven where nothing but righteousness dwells. Amen!
There was a new creation when God put all humanity under the
headship of Jesus instead of Adam. There was a new creation if
even one person was found to be under this new headship of Jesus
Christ. There was a new creation when God reconciled both Jew and
Gentile. There was a new creation when Jesus returned to earth to
rule and reign. And, here John introduced another new creation.
Sea symbolizes large groups of people, or, when described as
stormy, to indicate the chaos caused by rebellious men. In this
new heaven and earth, there will be no more large groups of
natural people, but only glorified saints who will have no
proclivity toward the lusts of the flesh. There will also be those
in the second death, or lake of fire, as a place of torment.
Therefore, there was no more chaotic sea, as there is no provision
made to satisfy the lusts and desires of soulish men (who are in
the lake of fire).

21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down
from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her
husband.

The New Jerusalem symbolizes the army of saints, or glorified
overcomers. They will dwell on the earth in righteousness. The
kingdom of God, once a new creation of its own, has now been
turned into a new heaven and a new earth. The kingdom of God has
now reached its final stage of fulfillment, seen by John as the
New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, prepared as a bride for
her husband.

21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold
the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them,
and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them,
and be their God.

The next age, the kingdom of God, is gone, and the ages of ages,
what we call eternity, comes next. God's presence was represented
first in the tabernacle and then in the temple. During the age of
grace, Godís presence is represented by the portion of holy spirit
he poured out upon everyone so that mankind, as a whole, is the
dwelling place of God. In the kingdom age, God will be
represented in his son, Jesus, as king of kings. But here John
saw God, himself, tabernacling, or dwelling, with men. It is not
clear whether he saw the actual presence of God, or the shekinah
glory which was often spoken of as the presence of God.

21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and
there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither
shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed
away.

Tear is singular,
which indicates the extreme care God will take to ensure comfort
for the overcomers. Sorrow, crying, pain ended when death was
destroyed.

21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all
things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true
and faithful.

Since the one sitting upon the throne spoke directly to John, this
must have been a message of supreme importance. Faithful and true
means the words were authentic, they could be relied upon as
absolute fact.

21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst
of the fountain of the water of life freely.

God said that everything had come to pass. There is nothing more
to be added as the effects of his past acts will continue. Alpha
and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet,
used to signify the beginning and the end, or the first and the
last. This fountain symbolizes the fullness of spiritual life in
the ages of ages. This life will be given freely, or gratuitously,
as the fulfillment of Godís covenant with his people.

21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will
be his God, and he shall be my son.

The person who shall inherit all things is "he that overcometh,"
indicating someone who has won a victory. "I will be his God"
means that God will provide everything necessary for that person
to be what God wants him to be. "He shall be my son" signifies
that the person will submit to God for guidance.

21:8 But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable,
and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with
fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

This is a motley group, and they will have their part in the lake
which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
The hades that Jesus taught about before his death and
resurrection is the outer darkness of the kingdom of God, or the
1,000 year reign. At the end of the 1,000 year reign, it is called
the lake of fire and brimstone. Both the blessed and the tormented
are in this lake of fire and brimstone, but in different
conditions. John has finally answered the puzzle presented by the
different teachings about "heaven" and "hell," and closed out the
history of mankind.

Verse
21:8 complements verses 20:2-3 and verse 20:15.

21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had
the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with
me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's
wife.

Using bride and wife together means that the groom had gone into
the bride as a husband to consummate the betrothal. There were
three parts of a marriage feast: the betrothal, the wedding feast,
and the marriage consummation. At the beginning of the 1,000 year
reign, or the kingdom of God, Jesus was pictured as betrothed. The
wedding feast occurred when the ten kings who had destroyed
Babylon came against Jesus and his army of saints. At the end,
when all things are subdued, Jesus will be one with the overcomers.
Finally, the marriage is consummated! The heavenly Jerusalem is
composed of the overcomers. John wrapped all this together and
called it the New Jerusalem, the bride of the lamb. The bride is
not a large city, or a building, but all the people who have
overcome the world by the grace of God. The marriage is
consummated when Jesus, in the midst of the church, sings praises
to God.

21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high
mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem,
descending out of heaven from God,

John saw the bride, or those who comprise the heavenly church. The
lambís wife is not an actual city with buildings, but people, all
the overcomers. The New Jerusalem was a metaphor for the
overcoming saints of God.

21:11 having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a
stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

The term, "glory of God," often means the reflected glory of God.
Her light was the glory of God, and no words can ever adequately
describe it. The jasper stone (we would say diamond today)
indicated reflected brilliance and sparkle. The idea was that the
light of the glory of God is concentrated in, and radiates from,
the New Jerusalem.

21:12 and had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and
at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are
the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

Twelve often means the totality of something. Although there were
13 tribes of Israel, John said 12 to signify that all the tribes
of Israel were represented.

21:13 on the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the
south three gates; and on the west three gates.

Gates indicated how the overcomers, who made up the New Jerusalem,
had arrived at that place of blessedness. Israel was the original
bearer of Godís word to mankind, and it was through them that
Godís providence and salvation was demonstrated to the Gentiles.

21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in
them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Twelve means totality, and signified the total number of
overcomers. Stones refers to people. The foundation consists of
Jesus as the chief corner stone, and the 12 apostles, who were
considered the foundation of the New Jerusalem. Upon this
foundation, or their teachings and examples, rested the followers
of the lamb, who were pictured as the stones of the wall.

21:15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure
the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

One of the angels who had the seven vials measured the temple
which was really the city of God. Gold means that everything
about the New Jerusalem was very precious. The angel does not
measure the people, but only the precincts of the city. to show
that there was enough room to hold all who met the qualifications
for being there.

21:16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large
as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve
thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of
it are equal.

John used this description of a beautiful place as a metaphor to
describe the blessedness of the overcomers in the ages of ages.
The ďcityĒ of 1,500 miles cubed was actually a tremendous crowd of
resurrected, glorified saints. God does not build an actual city
with stones and precious metals, but with the overcoming saints.

21:17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and
four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is of the
angel.

The walls were short (216 feet) compared to the height of the city
(1,500 miles) because so few were available compared to what could
be accommodated in the city, or the blessedness, which he has
prepared. God made preparations for everyone who has ever lived
to be part of the New Jerusalem, but the wall that surrounds it
cannot be built higher until other "stones" are available.
Indeed, many are called but few are chosen.

21:18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the
city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

John was not describing an actual building, or a real city, but
the glorified saints and a "habitation" for Godís dwelling. Gold
and clear glass means that the overcomers will reflect the light
of Godís glory in the ages of ages when they become a temple for
God.

21:19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished
with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was
jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth,
an emerald;

These stones all reflect and radiate light, and that was exactly
what the apostles did in their lifetime. These stones consisted
of four colors: blue, green, red, and yellow. Just as none of the
apostles were exactly alike, neither are any of these stones
exactly alike. Taken together, however, they would reflect a full
spectrum of light.

21:20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh,
chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a
chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, am amethyst.

To describe the incomparable value of the apostles in promoting
the kingdom of God, John portrayed them as being the 12 foundation
stones encrusted with precious stones.

21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several
gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold,
as it were transparent glass.

The gateswere the tower gates through which all gained
entry to the city. Entry into the next age was made through
Israel. Pearls indicate the importance of the part Israel played
in producing the messiah. The Bible says that when someone
believes that Jesus is the messiah, he is grafted into the good
olive tree, Israel. During Old Testament days, Israel was the
gateway to the promises of God, and they still are that gateway.
They will be rewarded at the beginning of the ages of ages,
indicated by the great pearl at each gate

Verse 21:21 is a further description of the gates mentioned in
verse 20:12.

21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and
the Lamb are the temple of it.

Temple refers to the holy of holies, the dwelling place of God in
the Old Testament, which was separate from all the people but the
high priest.
There is no longer any need for the temple, because all the saints
now
have direct access to God.

21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon,
to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb
is the light thereof.

This is an attempt to explain how great and bright the glory of
God really is! John pictured God being the flame, while the lamb
is the lamp which bears the flame and reflects it.

21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the
light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and
honour into it.

The nations of the saved are those who have been spared during all
the turmoil at the end of the 1,000 year reign. Those nations
which have been spared, will walk in the light, the glory of God
and of the lamb, in the New Jerusalem. And under this guidance
they will bring their glory and honor into the city. This is a
fitting sentence for those who have put the acquisition of wealth
before the service of God! The many who were called and did not
respond will now serve the few who did respond.

21:25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for
there shall be no night there.

This illustrates the peace that will abide in the New Jerusalem.
All enemies have been nullified and there is no possibility of an
attack, so there is no need to guard the city. The gates would
normally be closed at nightfall to guard against an enemy attack.
But in the New Jerusalem such a need will not exist, since there
is no night and no enemy.

21:26 And they shall bring glory and honour of the nations into
it.

They refers to the nations which were saved. Both the overcomers
and the nations who were not overcomers will be gladly serving the
will of God.

"They,"
in verse 21:26, refers back to verse 21:24.

21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that
defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie:
but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Anything includes any person as well as any object. Defileth
means common, ordinary, or profane. Worketh abomination means
something which is detestable, or arouses an intense dislike. Lie
means something which is not what it seems to be. Only those
whose names are written in the lambís book of life will enter, or
enjoy blissful joy in the presence of God. Those who chose not to
serve God will not be allowed to enter, or enjoy blissful joy,
because their names were erased from the lambís book of life.

22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as
crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

These metaphors symbolize the spiritual meaning of life in the
ages of ages. Pure shows thatthere will be nothing that
soils, corrupts, or adulterates. The throne represents Godís
desire, and without the sacrifice provided by the faithfulness of
the lamb, there would be no spiritual life flowing out from the
throne.

22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of
the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of
fruits, and yielded her fruit every month; and the leaves of the
tree were for the healing of the nations.

The tree of life on both sides of the river refer to Godís
sustenance for the overcomers. The 12 tribes of Israel were
required to give of their "fruit" once a month. Two trees, each
bearing 12 different fruits, make 24 "courses" which have now
replaced the 24 courses of the priests and Levites. The 24
priestly courses have become the two trees of life and their
fruits, which symbolize Godís continuing care of the spiritual
needs for the overcomers. Leaves were sources of medicine
for healing, and here they symbolize Godís continuing concern for
those who were not overcomers.

22:3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God
and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

There will be nothing which adversely affects that which is
dedicated to God. Throne symbolizes the presence and power of God
and the lamb, which enables the overcomers to live in a blessed
state of glory. Serve conveys a sense of service which involves
action.

22:4 and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in
their foreheads.

They shall see his face is a figure of speech meaning to come into
the presence of the king. The overcomers will see his face, or
abide in Godís presence in a blessed condition. His name
signifies ownership, and is their ďadmission passĒ to the kingdom.

22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no
candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them
light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

This repeats the message of verse 21:23, that God is the source of
all, while the lamb brings Godís desires to pass. In addition,
the overcomers will reign forever, a constant reign that never
ceases.

22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true:
and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto
his servants the things which must shortly be done.

These words indicate that the God who empowered and instructed the
prophets of old is the same God who instructed the angel, and is
also the one revealing these things to John. Shortly means how
these things will come to pass. It may not be soon temporally, but
when it does happen they will occur quickly.

22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the
sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Quickly is the same word
as shortly in verse 22:6. Keeps means that the blessing goes to
those who continually practice obeying the sayings.

22:8 And I John saw these things and heard them. And when I
had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the
angel which shewed me these things.

John was so overwhelmed by what he had heard and seen that he fell
down to worship before the feet of the angel.

22:9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy
fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which
keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

John made this same mistake before (19:10), and the angel at that
time also told him not to do it. Do not worship me, the angel
said, but worship God. Our worship belongs to God, and only to
God. Of them means that this angel was also expected to believe
and obey the commands, or words, of this book.

22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy
of this book: for the time is at hand.

In verse 10:4, John was told to seal the words; but now he
knows everything he needs to write the complete story. Now that the
revelation was ending, the time is at hand, and John was told to
leave it all open to anyone who wanted to read it.

22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which
is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let
him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy
still.

This is the hopeless condition of those that unjust, meaning
unrighteous, or filthy, meaning those who display no sense of
common decency. Their behavior has become a habit, or a continual
way of life. The same thing applies to the righteous ones and the
holy, or separated ones. Their behavior also has become a habit.
Both groups face an inevitable future, but their ends will be
completely different. The visions were ended, the history of
mankind was closed, the door was closed, and peopleís courses are
set. This verse refers to the door being closed at the end of the
1,000 year reign.

22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to
give every man according as his work shall be.

This verse reverts to the beginning of the 1,000 year reign. The
angel is Jesus, who will judge menís works and reward them
accordingly. The overcomers will share the glory of Jesus, while
those in outer darkness will be ruled over and instructed in the
way of God.

22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first
and the last.

As the representative of God, Jesus could claim the term alpha and
omega for himself. He will represent the glory of God during the
1,000 years reign, and he will also be the reflector of Godís
glory in the New Jerusalem during the ages of ages.

Verse 22:13 reverted to the return of Jesus, the Christ, at the
beginning of the 1,000 year reign.

22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may
have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates
of the city.

This refers to the blessedness of those who do his commandments at
the beginning of the ages of ages. Those who keep the
commandments will have the right to the tree of life, and the
right to enter the kingdom.

This verse jumps to the blessedness of those who obey and keep his
commandments at the beginning of the ages of ages.

22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and
murders, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Those described here are the ones who do not keep the commandments
, and they will be in outer darkness outside the kingdom. Dogs
refers to extremely loathsome and despicable people.

22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these
things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David,
and the bright and morning star.

John was allowed to see and hear these things so he could testify
about them in the churchesónot just the seven churches, but also
all the churches in the future. These things are Godís promise of
the glorious rewards awaiting those who faithfully serve him.

22:17 And the spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that
heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And
whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

This is more of a plea than an invitation , urging the unbelievers
to allow the salvation, given by the grace of God, to change their
lives. All they need to do is come. What God has provided is
freely available to anyone.

22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the
prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God
shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

This book is not to be circumscribed by the ordinances of man. No
requirements must be placed upon anyone who wishes to come to
God. The penalties for adding anything to the prophecies of this
book are especially severe.

Verse 22:18 refers to all the previous verses, the complete book
of Revelation.

22:19 and if any man shall take away from the words of the
prophecy of this book, God shall take away his part out of the
book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which
are written in this book.

The words of this prophecy includes all the promises made
concerning the coming of Jesus, as well as the blessings which
await the overcomers. If anyone detracts from these words, God
shall take away his part of the book of life and the holy city.
This is indeed a severe penalty.